Four men convicted in Spain in connection to 2021 hate crime murder

Four men in Spain were convicted for their role in what is being considered a homophobic murder on Sunday in connection to the killing of a young nursing assistant, which sparked protests in cities across Spain and abroad.

Reuters reported that 24-year-old Samuel Luiz died in a hospital in July 2021 after he was assaulted by a group of people outside a nightclub in A Coruña, which is located in the northwestern Galicia region of Spain.

Three of the men involved who committed the fatal assault – Diego Montaña, Alejandro Freire and Kaio Amaral – were each found guilty of aggravated murder. The fourth man, Alejandro Míguez, was convicted of complicity. A fifth person, a woman, was tried and acquitted of charges against her.

Evidence presented in court showed that Montaña led the efforts after concluding that Luiz was gay based on his speech and clothing.

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Montaña then reportedly started shouting homophobic insults and slurs at Luiz before the attack and made anti-gay comments to the other accused individuals afterward.

The trial lasted nearly four weeks before the case was placed on the jury to decide the fate of Montaña, Freire, Amaral and Míguez. Ultimately, the jury found them guilty of the charges.

Sentencing is expected to take place at a later date, and the prosecution has asked the judge for jail terms between 22 and 27 years.

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"Today, 4 attackers have been sentenced for the murder of Samuel Luiz," Irene Montero, former minister of equality in Spain, wrote in a translated post on X, explaining that the men shouted a derogatory term at the victim. "I hope it helps to make amends for Samuel’s family and friends. Let’s not look the other way: the [LGBTQ-phobia] that kills begins with comments or ‘jokes’ that are hateful, harmful and must be stopped."

Reuters reported that in 2023, there were more than 360 hate crimes related to sexual orientation or gender identity reported in Spain. Of those crimes reported, 184 arrests were made, Interior Ministry data shows.

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights also reported that only a fraction of hate crimes are reported.

Reuters contributed to this report.