World

Ripoll mayor’s daughter hired as an interim local police officer

Herz — World Desk · 28 July 2026 at 19:10 · 30s summary · 3 min read

The essentials

Guinadell Orriols, the 19-year-old daughter of Ripoll mayor Sílvia Orriols, has worked as an interim local police officer since July 17, 2026. She ranked first in an urgent recruitment process involving 15 applicants, five of whom reached the final interview. The mayor says she abstained and gave her daughter no preferential treatment. However, she had appointed the selection panel and set the tests’ rules, weighting and timetable before delegating authority over the appointment decree. Ten days after the appointment, the decision had still not appeared in the two required official gazettes.

Guinadell Orriols has served as an interim officer since July 17, 2026.
Fifteen people applied, and five reached the final interview.
The mayor says she abstained and gave her daughter no preferential treatment.
The appointment had not appeared in the required gazettes ten days later.

What we know

Guinadell Orriols has served as an interim officer with the local police in Ripoll since July 17, 2026. According to El País, she won an urgent direct-selection process provided for by law.

The 19-year-old is the eldest daughter of Sílvia Orriols, mayor of the Catalan municipality of 10,600 residents.

Sílvia Orriols also leads Aliança Catalana, a far-right Catalan pro-independence party founded in Ripoll in 2020, and serves as a member of the Parliament of Catalonia.

An urgent recruitment process

On June 11, 2026, the municipality announced an urgent direct-selection process to fill an interim position in its local police force.

The notice, signed by municipal secretary-general Gerard Soldevila, gave interested candidates 12 days to apply.

Applicants had to be over 18, hold at least an upper-secondary school qualification, have an intermediate level of Catalan and possess a driving licence. Police experience was to receive particular consideration.

The decree said an operationally critical situation was jeopardising the effectiveness of the essential public-security service. It also noted that the mayor holds senior command of the local police.

The mayor’s role

On June 30, 2026, seven days after applications closed, Sílvia Orriols appointed one sergeant and two corporals to the selection panel.

She also set the conditions, weighting and timetable for the tests. Gerard Soldevila signed the document.

According to the article, four legal provisions cited in the notice require officials to abstain at every stage of a selection process involving a close relative. The rules also allow powers to be delegated.

The mayor delegated her authority over the appointment decree on July 3, 2026. That day, the five candidates who had passed the technical test attended the final interview.

Fifteen people had applied in total. The decree awarding the position bears the signatures of councillor Gaspar Viñas Codina and the municipal secretary.

Sílvia Orriols’ account

Sílvia Orriols says she gave nobody preferential treatment and abstained from any involvement in the process. She says she cannot prevent her daughter from pursuing her chosen career.

The mayor also maintains that Guinadell Orriols received the highest marks in every test.

At the municipal council meeting on July 28, 2026, Gerard Soldevila said there had been no irregularities in the process.

He added that the urgency of the appointment would have allowed the municipality to fill the position without holding a selection process.