He Superior Court of Xustiza of Galicia (TSXG) has ratified the three-year prison sentence imposed on a man for a violent attack on two pilgrims in the historic center of Santiago de Compostela in the early hours of August 5, 2023.
The ruling dismisses the appeals presented, both by the defense of the convicted man and by the private prosecution, which requested that the events be classified as an attempted homicide.
Sequence of Assault and Serious Injuries
The facts proven in the sentence describe that the accused, a foreign national, began by hitting a parked vehicle and breaking its windshield. "Very upset", then chased a group of pilgrims returning from their stage, shouting threatening phrases such as "kill a man and a woman".
The attack focused on two of the walkers:
- Attack on the Pilgrim: The aggressor pounced on one of the women, grabbed her violently and threw her against a shop window, causing her a dorsal contusion and acute stress disorder.
- Attack on the Pilgrim: When another walker tried to defend his companion, the accused punched him several times in the face until he knocked him down. Once the victim was unconscious on the ground, received multiple kicks to the head and body, until other pilgrims intervened and the aggressor fled.
The male victim suffered a traumatic brain injury with skull fracture and had to be hospitalized in the ICU for several days. Doctors estimated his recovery at 223 days, with permanent aesthetic consequences.
The TSXG Dismisses the Homicide Attempt
Although he TSXG considers that kicking an unconscious man in the head constituted an act of high risk For its integrity, the court confirms the sentence for a crime of aggravated injuries and another minor injury. The Chamber emphasizes that the proven facts do not allow a reinterpretation that would further harm the accused (in peius).
In addition to the three years in prison, the convicted person must:
- Compensate victims with more than 17,000 euros and cover the health expenses of the Galician Health Service.
- fulfill a restraining order of 500 meters and the prohibition of communicating with one of those attacked for four years.
The TSXG failure still it is not firm and can be brought before the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court.
