Four men jailed for total of 74 years over brutal homophobic murder in Spain
GuardianJan 08
Spain Sentences Four Men for the 2021 Murder of Gay Man
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Above: Defendants and their lawyers in the trial for the murder of Samuel Luiz at the Provincial Court of A Coruña on Nov. 24, 2024, in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. Image copyright: M. Dylan/Contributor/Europa Press News via Getty Images
The Facts
Four Spanish men received prison sentences totaling 74 years for the July 2021 murder of 24-year-old gay man Samuel Luiz, who was a Brazilian-born nursing assistant.
The main perpetrator, Diego Montaña, was sentenced to 24 years for initiating the attack with homophobic slurs. Alejandro Freire and Kaio Amaral received 20 years each, and Alejandro Míguez got 10 years. Two minors were convicted in a separate trial.
The Spin
Left narrative
The sentencing of these criminals is a huge win for Spain, particularly those of the LGBTQ+ community who continue to face discrimination across Europe. While it shouldn't have taken a murder to shine a spotlight on the issue, the support garnered following Luiz's death has fostered optimism in the often dark lives of LGBTQ+ Spaniards. Across Europe, most same-sex couples are still afraid to even hold hands, which proves how much more must be done as a society.
Right narrative
In addition to calling attention to discrimination, this case also points to questions about the broader implications of hate crime laws. Protecting individuals from harm and discrimination is crucial, but such laws — particularly hate speech laws — warrant careful consideration. Whether in Europe or the US, such hate crime laws are often used as political tools to criminalize beliefs that dissent from the prevailing progressive narrative, ultimately stifling conservative voices.
