Fatal beating of young man in alleged homophobic attack shocks Spain

A Coruña, Spain, Jul 5 (EFE).- The killing of 24-year-old man in what LGBTQI+ groups say was a homophobic attack in a northwest Spanish city over the weekend has sent shockwaves across the country.

Police in A Coruña, Galicia, have identified 13 people wanted in connection with the attack, which took place near a nightclub at around 3:00am on Saturday morning.

Some have given statements to authorities, but no-one has been held in custody, according to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE.

The young man was brutally beaten up by a group of people who assaulted him while he was on a video call with a friend, who witnessed the attack via phone.

Samuel, who worked as a nursing assistant at a local foundation, suffered severe bruising and head injuries. Paramedics spent two hours trying to revive him but he died later in hospital.

LGBTQI+ groups have organized protests up and down the country on Monday evening, claiming the attack was driven by homophobia and that the assailants used anti-gay slurs.

Police are currently investigating whether the assailants accused Samuel of filming them with his cellphone before launching their brutal attack, sources told Efe.

The killing has produced an outpouring of condemnation.

Spain’s third deputy minister, Yolanda Diaz, condemned the attack on Twitter.

“There are no ‘buts’ in the face of this deadly violence that breaks our idea of freedom, coexistence and diversity.