- A 28-year-old young man was beaten by five people shouting “faggot” near the Cartagonova stadium as he was heading to the Carthaginian and Roman festivals.
- He suffered a gash on his face that required stitches, in addition to numerous bruises. The attackers have not been identified.
- The Galactyco group is asking the Prosecutor’s Office to act ex officio for a possible hate crime.
A homophobic attack in Cartagena has left a young resident of the city, 28 years old, injured. It occurred around 10:00 PM on Thursday, September 24, near the Cartagonova stadium. A group mocked him for carrying a bag, insulted him with homophobic expressions, and five people ended up beating him.
What happened in the homophobic attack in Cartagena?
The young man was attacked by five people while walking to the camp of the Carthaginian and Roman festivals. According to the complaint from the LGTBIQ+ group Galactyco, it all started when a group of young people mocked him for carrying a bag and tried to snatch it away.
Then came the homophobic insults, with shouts of “faggot”. Other older people joined in, and together they threw him to the ground and beat him, according to local media reports.
What injuries did the victim suffer?
The young man suffered a gash on his face that required several stitches, in addition to numerous bruises and a contusion in the eye area. He was first attended to by Civil Protection personnel from the festival camp.
Then he accompanied police officers to try to locate those who attacked him. For now, they have not been identified.
Galactyco asks the Prosecutor’s Office to act for a hate crime
Galactyco, LGTBIQ+ group from Cartagena, has made the attack public and demands an institutional response. Its president, Miguel Ángel Casanova, has requested “an ex officio action from the prosecutor’s office to address a hate crime like this.”
Casanova links the attack to the social and political climate. In his words, “the hate speeches that occur in our society, especially those produced in Cartagena by people in institutional positions, make homophobes believe they have the freedom to attack.”
An attack during the city’s festivities
The attack occurred during the Carthaginian and Roman festivals, one of the most attended events on Cartagena’s calendar, and on the way to the festival camp itself. That the trigger was something as mundane as carrying a bag shows how LGTBIfobia punishes any expression that deviates from traditional gender roles, regardless of the orientation of the attacked person.
Galactyco insists that a case like this should be treated for what it is: a possible hate crime, with an investigation that reaches those responsible.
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Frequently asked questions
Where did the homophobic attack in Cartagena occur?
Near the Cartagonova stadium, when the victim was going to the camp of the Carthaginian and Roman festivals.
When did it happen?
Around 10:00 PM on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
Have the attackers been arrested?
No. The victim accompanied the police to search for them, but for now, they have not been identified.
What does the Galactyco group ask for?
That the Prosecutor’s Office act ex officio to investigate the events as a hate crime.
