They denounce a brutal homophobic aggression as the cause of the death of a young man on San Juan Beach (Alicante): "We are deeply concerned that it is not recognized as such"

The LGTBIQ+ association Alicante Entiende has demanded that the episode that occurred on August 14 in Playa de San Juan, in Alicante, in which a 27-year-old man died, be investigated as a possible homophobic aggression. According to the collective, Miguel would have been attacked after trying to flirt with another boy, 22 years old, who was later arrested for his alleged involvement in the events.

The organization believes that this approach between the two should be taken into account to clarify what happened and determine if there was a motivation related to the victim's sexual orientation. "If you don't want someone to flirt with you, you simply tell them: 'Look, no, I'm sorry'," defended the platform's coordinator, José Ramón Samper, who insists that an attempt at an approach can never justify a violent response. The 22-year-old was released with precautionary measures after being brought before the court and remains under investigation for an alleged crime of homicide.

From Alicante Entiende they warn that they do not want the possible homophobic component to be relegated to the background during the investigation. The collective demands that all the circumstances surrounding the aggression be analyzed and that, if a motivation linked to Miguel's sexual orientation is finally accredited, this be considered for judicial purposes. "We are deeply concerned that the possible homophobic motivation is not recognized as such," the association states.

The platform is also preparing a concentration in front of the Benalúa courts next August 27 to remember the deceased young man, convey their support to family and friends, and demand that all the circumstances of his death be clarified. "We want to emphasize that the initial reason for the aggression or the fight between the two boys was because one of them tried to flirt with the other," Samper explained. The association demands that hate crimes based on sexual orientation be investigated with all guarantees and that the circumstances of the case do not contribute to invisibilizing or normalizing homophobia. 

From the association, they emphasize that it is not up to LGTBI collectives to determine criminal responsibility, but to the courts, but they do demand that no hypothesis be ruled out beforehand. In this sense, they consider it essential to clarify whether the attack could have occurred as a consequence of an affective or sexual approach between two men or for any other circumstance related to the victim's real or perceived sexual orientation.

Alicante Entiende also recalls that the Penal Code considers the commission of a crime for discriminatory reasons related to sexual orientation or identity as an aggravating circumstance. For this reason, the collective asks that, if during the investigation evidence appears that accredits a motivation of this type, said circumstance be taken into account during the judicial procedure.

The collective insists that demanding an investigation with an LGTBI perspective does not mean prejudging the detainee, but preventing a possible hate motivation from being left out of the investigation before the facts have been clarified.