An aggression against five minors aged 14 has provoked a strong neighborhood reaction in Benialí, a small locality in the Vall de Gallinera, in Alicante, during the celebration of its patron saint festivities.
The events occurred during the night of Saturday in a playground in the municipality. According to Levante-EMV based on the testimony of a person close to the families, three young people aged between 16 and 17 began to insult the group after noticing that two of the girls were in a romantic relationship.
The insults included homophobic expressions such as "maricona" and "bollera," in addition to shouts of "Viva Franco" and "Viva Vox," according to the same account collected by the Valencian newspaper.
The aggression began after an adult tried to mediate
The discussion initially escalated verbally.
A man in his 30s who witnessed the scene intervened to separate both parties and tried to prevent the confrontation from escalating further. When he considered that the situation had calmed down, he left the place.
It was after that when, according to the version conveyed by the families to Levante-EMV, the three young people confronted the minors again and began to hit them.
One of the girls ended up with a black eye and injuries on her knees. After informing her family about what happened, she received medical assistance and subsequently reported the events to the Guardia Civil.
The families maintain that the attack was motivated by sexual orientation
The central element of the complaint is the homophobic nature of the aggression.
People close to the minors believe that the attack was directly related to the sexual orientation of two of them and the fact that they were a couple.
The girls, according to that environment, are affected by what happened and have expressed fear of going out on the street again after the episode.
The case will now have to be investigated to determine the exact participation of each of those involved and clarify the circumstances of the aggression.
The age attributed to the alleged aggressors also comes from the account of witnesses and people close to them collected by Levante-EMV, not from an official identification communicated publicly.
More than a hundred neighbors gather in Benialí
More than a hundred people gathered this Sunday in front of the Casa del Consell to denounce what happened and express their support for the minors.
The mobilization was called by neighbors of the locality and had the support of the Town Hall of the Vall de Gallinera.
During the protest, a manifesto was read against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The impact has been especially strong due to the size of the community. Benialí barely exceeds a hundred inhabitants and is part of a municipality characterized by small towns scattered throughout the valley.
The Town Hall condemns "the attacks and homophobic attitudes"
The Town Hall of the Vall de Gallinera has issued a statement of condemnation.
The council has expressed its "absolute rejection" of the attacks and homophobic attitudes that occurred during the festivities and has defended that these spaces should serve for coexistence and not for hatred or discrimination.
The municipal government has also conveyed its support to the affected individuals and has reaffirmed its commitment to a Vall de Gallinera "diverse, inclusive, respectful, and free of LGTBIfobia".
"Against hatred, zero tolerance," concludes the municipal statement.
The Civil Guard must now clarify what happened
The next step will be to determine judicially and police-wise what exactly happened, who participated, and what responsibility corresponds to each of those involved.