Four men were sentenced in Spain on Sunday in connection with the murder of a young nursing assistant in what appeared to be a homophobic murder, sparking protests in cities across Spain and abroad.
According to Reuters, 24-year-old Samuel Ruiz died in hospital in July 2021 after being assaulted by several people outside a nightclub in A Coruña, in Spain's northwestern Galicia region.
The three men involved in the fatal assault, Diego Montaña, Alejandro Freire and Caio Amaral, were each found guilty of aggravated murder. A fourth person, Alejandro Miguez, was convicted of conspiracy. A fifth woman was tried and acquitted.
Evidence presented in court showed that Mr. Montagna led the effort after concluding that Mr. Ruiz was gay based on the way he spoke and the way he dressed.
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Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain – 07/09/2021: A participant is seen holding a portrait of Samuel Ruiz in LGBT colors and a banner reading “Hate speech kills” during a protest. Demonstrators take to the streets of Barcelona against LGBTIphobia and the death of Samuel Ruiz, a 24-year-old gay man who was killed in a homophobic attack in the Spanish city of A Coruña. (Photo by Thiago Prudêncio/SOPA Images/LightRocket, Getty Images)
Montagna then reportedly began shouting homophobic insults and slurs at Ruiz before the attack, and then made anti-gay remarks toward the other accusers.
The trial lasted nearly four weeks, with a jury deciding the fate of Montaña, Freire, Amaral and Miguez. Ultimately, a jury found them guilty.
Sentencing will take place at a later date, with prosecutors asking the judge for a sentence of 22 to 27 years in prison.
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Coruña Galicia, Spain – November 24: (LR) Defendant Diego Montaña and his lawyer, Luis Salgado, defendant Catherine Silva and his lawyer, Luciano Prado, defendant Caio Amaral and his lawyer, Jose Ramon. Sierra, Defendant Alejandro Miguez and his attorney, Manuel Ferreiro, Defendant Alejandro Freire and his attorney, David Freire; During the reading of the verdict in the trial of Samuel Ruiz at the A Coruña District Court on November 24, 2024 in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. A popular jury has delivered a verdict on the crimes of Samuel Lewis, finding him guilty of murdering three of the five young men on trial for assault resulting in death in A Coruña in the early hours of July 3, 2021. . The only woman who went to trial as an accomplice of another defendant was acquitted. (Photo by M. Dylan/European Press via Getty Images)
“Today, four attackers were sentenced for the murder of Samuel Ruiz,” Spain's former equality minister Irene Montero wrote in an article translated to He explained that he was shouting such words. “I hope this helps make amends to Samuel's family and friends. Please don't look away. [LGBTQ-phobia] Murder starts with hateful and harmful comments and “jokes” and it must stop. ”
Reuters reported that more than 360 hate crimes related to sexual orientation or gender identity were reported in Spain in 2023. According to Interior Ministry data, 184 people were arrested for the crimes reported.
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The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights also reported that only a small proportion of hate crimes were reported.
Reuters contributed to this report.
