Four men were convicted in Spain on Sunday for their roles in the homophobic murder of a 24-year-old nursing assistant, a crime that ignited protests across Spain and internationally.
Samuel Luiz succumbed to his injuries in a hospital after being attacked by a group of individuals outside a nightclub in A Coruña, located in the northwestern region of Galicia, in July 2021.
The court found Diego Montaña, Alejandro Freire, and Kaio Amaral guilty of aggravated murder, while Alejandro Míguez was convicted of complicity. A fifth person, a woman, was tried and acquitted of charges against her.
According to the jury in A Coruña, Montaña, the group’s leader, had assumed Luiz was gay based on his speech and clothing. He reportedly shouted homophobic slurs at Luiz before the assault and made further anti-gay remarks to the other attackers afterward.
The jury deliberated for an unusually long five days following a trial that spanned nearly four weeks. Sentencing is pending, with prosecutors seeking prison terms ranging from 22 to 27 years.
In 2023, Spain recorded 364 hate crimes linked to sexual orientation or gender identity, resulting in 184 arrests, according to the Interior Ministry. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights notes that many hate crimes go unreported.
#ÚLTIMAHORA | El jurado declara culpables de asesinar a Samuel a los cuatro hombres y exculpa a la mujer. pic.twitter.com/7laFcMPh7L
— EFE Noticias (@EFEnoticias) November 24, 2024
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