- The Malaga Court imposes one year and four months in prison on a man for seriously harassing a woman due to her sexual orientation.
- The convicted person must pay compensation of 7,500 euros for moral damages and faces a special disqualification of four years.
- The Andalusian LGTBI Observatory celebrates the ruling as a necessary precedent against the impunity of lesbophobia in public spaces.
Andalusian justice sends a strong message against intolerance. The Malaga Court has issued a ruling that qualifies the serious lesbophobic insults uttered against a woman in the middle of the street as a hate crime in Malaga. The court has not only imposed prison sentences, but has reinforced the sentence with a large financial fine and disqualifications, setting a judicial precedent in the protection of lesbian women in the region.
A sentence against lesbophobia
The proven facts date back to April 2024, in front of a supermarket in the capital of Malaga. According to the court report, the aggressor berated the victim violently and repeatedly, using degrading expressions directed exclusively at her sexual orientation. The sentence emphasizes that the attack was not a random altercation, but rather an attack motivated by prejudice and contempt for the dignity of women.
From the Andalusian LGTBI Observatory they have highlighted that this court ruling is a victory for the entire group. The resolution recognizes that lesbophobic insults seek public humiliation and isolation of the victims, so the application of article 510 of the Penal Code is essential to punish these behaviors that break social peace and coexistence.
Prison and fine of 7,500 euros
The severity of the harassment has led to a sentence of one year and four months in prison. In addition to the deprivation of liberty, the Malaga Court has set compensation of 7,500 euros that the aggressor must pay to the victim for the moral damage caused. This figure seeks to repair, to the extent possible, the psychological impact derived from an attack motivated by hate in an everyday space.
The sentence is completed with a four-year special disqualification from any profession or trade related to the educational, sporting or leisure fields. This additional measure guarantees that people who have demonstrated violent and discriminatory attitudes cannot exercise roles of influence over vulnerable groups, thus reinforcing the preventive nature of the sentence.
Real criminal consequences in Andalusia
This case of Málaga hate crime marks a turning point in the persecution of LGTBIphobia in Andalusia. Historically, many of these verbal attacks went unpunished or were processed as minor crimes of coercion. However, the firmness of the Provincial Court demonstrates that the judicial system is integrating the perspective of hate to effectively protect victims.
The judicial resolution also emphasizes the need to report. Thanks to the fact that the victim decided to bring the facts to justice, a repeat offender in his discriminatory speech has been removed from public space. With this ruling, Málaga is positioned at the forefront of the legal fight for Human Rights, making it clear that lesbophobic hatred has a high legal price.
