La Coruña pays tribute to migrants for defending a murdered gay man

The Spanish city of La Coruña on Monday granted adoptive children status to two Senegalese migrants who tried to protect a young gay man of Brazilian origin who was murdered in 2021.

Ibrahima Diack and Magatte N'Diaye tried to save Samuel Luiz, who was punched and kicked outside a nightclub in the northwestern Spanish city in July 2021.

The subsequent death of the 24-year-old in hospital shocked society and led to condemnation from Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

In November, a court in La Coruña sentenced four attackers to between 10 and 24 years in prison. In the case of the main attacker, the court considered the aggravating factor of "discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation."

Diack and N'Diaye were in an irregular situation at the time, but later obtained work and residence permits in recognition of their heroism.

The mayor of this Galician city, Inés Rey, highlighted their "altruism" in a ceremony at the town hall in which the two Senegalese received a long ovation and distinctive plaques.

"The fact that two undocumented migrants were the only ones who risked their physical lives to help the victim of a gang thirsty for horror leaves much room for reflection and also a wealth of lessons," said Rey.

At the tribute, N'Diaye spoke of the importance of the values ​​of respect, love and solidarity that he learned in Senegal. "We are not heroes, we did what we had to do," he said.

Diack also recalled his origins. "I was born into a family that didn't have much, but (...) they gave me many things more valuable than money" such as "respect, education and above all values," he explained.

Mali, Senegal and Morocco are the most common origins of the tens of thousands of migrants who arrive in Spain illegally every year.

Agence France-Presse

The brutal attack and murder of Samuel Luiz occurred in the early hours of July 3, 2021, in La Coruña, Spain. Luiz, a nursing assistant of Brazilian origin and resident in Spain, was attacked by a group of people while making a video call on the street. According to investigations, the attack began when one of the attackers mistakenly interpreted that Luiz was recording them with his mobile phone. The violence with which the crime was perpetrated and the possibility of a homophobic motive generated a great impact on Spanish public opinion, leading to numerous demonstrations in different cities demanding justice.

The murder trial concluded in November 2023 with the conviction of four of the attackers. Diego MB, considered the main perpetrator of the crime, received a 24-year prison sentence, with the aggravating circumstance of discrimination based on sexual orientation. Two other suspects were sentenced to 15 years in prison each, and a fourth received 10 years for homicide and serious injury. Apart from these sentences, in 2022 three minors involved in the attack were tried in a juvenile court, although the sentences in these proceedings were not made public for legal reasons.

The recognition granted to Ibrahima Diack and Magatte N'Diaye as adopted sons of La Coruña is an honorary distinction that the city council grants to people not born in the city but who have demonstrated exceptional merits. Their bravery in intervening in the attack, despite being in an irregular immigration situation, has been widely praised in Spain.