"Homophobic Assault" in Madrid Turns Out to Be Consensual
A Spanish man, who claimed he was attacked by a masked gang who assaulted him and carved a homophobic slur into his buttocks, has now told the police that his injuries were consensual.
The attack, which was alleged to have taken place last Sunday in a central Madrid neighborhood, sparked national – and international – outcry against a backdrop of rising hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community, just two months after a gay man was beaten to death in A Coruña.
The 20-year-old man claimed that 8 men followed him into the hallway of his home and verbally abused him before slashing him with a knife. In response, the attack was condemned by Spanish President Pedro Sanchez who called an emergency meeting of the anti-hate crimes commission and triggered a wave of calls for protests against rising anti-gay rhetoric.
Police confirmed late last week that the man had changed his story to the police and claimed it was consensual. A police spokeswoman suggested that he could face legal action over falsifying his complaint.
LGBTQ+ groups vowed to continue their protests and marches, however, as indeed the rate of homophobic crime is increasing across the country. In a statement, Movimiento Marika Madrid said, “Over the past few days, there have been attacks in Toledo, in Melilla, in Castellón and in Vitoria. [We will protest because] they killed Samuel for being gay and because those of you reading this have also had to suffer violence, harassment, fear and the danger of death.”
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