Homophobic torture in Barcelona: 8 years requested for two mossos

The Prosecutor’s Office requests 7 years and 11 months in prison for each of the two agents of the Mossos d’Esquadra accused of torturing a gay young man after detaining him in 2021.
According to the document, one of them hit him and insulted him with phrases like “faggot besides being Arab, you have it all”. The other, allegedly, did nothing to stop it.
They are accused of torture, physical abuse, and illegal detention, with the aggravating factor of discriminatory motivation. There is still no date for the trial.

The Prosecutor’s Office accuses two agents of the Mossos d’Esquadra of homophobic torture in Barcelona and requests 7 years and 11 months in prison for each. According to their document, in the early hours of November 8, 2021, they beat and insulted a young man for his sexual orientation and origin while transporting him in a patrol car to Raval.

What happened on the night of November 8, 2021?

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, two mossos detained a young man without legal basis and assaulted him during the transfer in a patrol car from Eixample to Rambla del Raval. It all started with an altercation in a bar on Villarroel street, where agents from the Unitat de Seguretat Ciutadana de l’Eixample arrived.

The agents did not take him to their police station. They transferred him outside his district, to Raval. The indictment states that both knew that the detention had no legal basis.

What insults does the Prosecutor’s Office attribute to the agent?

The Prosecutor’s Office attributes homophobic and racist insults to one of the mossos while the young man was handcuffed in the back seat. Among them, “faggot besides being Arab, you have it all” and “repeat, you piece of shit faggot, say you are shit”.

According to the accusation, that agent gave him punches in the stomach, pressed his head against the partition of the vehicle, and pressed his neck until he couldn’t breathe. The young man even vomited inside the car.

The second agent was sitting behind and, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, did not intervene, and even reacted with laughter. For this reason, he is accused of torture by omission.

Later, the young man was released. According to the accusation, no report was written upon returning to the police station.

What penalties does the Prosecutor’s Office request?

The Prosecutor’s Office requests a total of 7 years and 11 months in prison for each agent, in addition to absolute disqualification and a joint compensation of 20,000 euros for the victim. The request breaks down as follows:

Torture: 4 years in prison and 10 years of absolute disqualification, in addition to the prohibition of approaching the victim.
Illegal detention: 3 years and 11 months in prison.
Physical abuse: fine of 1,080 euros.

In all crimes, the aggravating factor of discriminatory motivation applies. The two agents went through provisional prison in 2022 and were released after paying a 6,000 euro bail each.

Two other mossos who were in another patrol car were also investigated, but the Prosecutor’s Office does not accuse them.

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Why does this case matter?

The case highlights LGTBIfobia within the institutions that should protect the community. That the Prosecutor’s Office appreciates torture with aggravating discriminatory factors against police officers is unusual and carries significant symbolic weight.

Now it all depends on the Barcelona Court setting the date for the trial. Until there is a verdict, the facts remain alleged.
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