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Racialist thug finds himself back in Court
By h.b. - Oct 25, 2007 - 12:25 AM
ALSO SEE : • Spain criticises Italian policy towards immigration - May 17, 2008 - 12:07 PM
• Order to remove racist sign outside Mallorca computer shop - May 12, 2008 - 3:39 PM

A still of the agression taken from the CCTV - Photo EFE
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21 year old Xavier Martin Martínez was caught on a Barcelona metro closed circuit camera abusing a young girl from Ecuador
EDITORIAL COMMENT

It was interesting to see the reaction by the Attorney General and the Minister for Justice yesterday who both made public comments to ensure that the man caught on video carrying out a racialist attack was called to be re-arrested. In fact he is still at home, but has been called back to declare again before the judge later today, on the orders of the Barcelona prosecutor. Meanwhile police say they have been keeping him under close watch.
It will be the first time the aggressor will face his victim in court.

The attack was carried out on the Barcelona Metro, and shows the aggressor, on his mobile phone the entire time, insulting and then hitting a young Ecuadorian girl. At one point he grabs her breast, and in another he kicks her in the face.

What made the outrage of the case even greater was that the youth, who was initially released from custody because the prosecutor was not present when he gave his statement, was then interviewed by the media, and showed an attitude along the lines of ‘Well I was drunk, and that’s that’. Little sign of repentance there. In fact the 21 year old spent part of yesterday drinking with his friends and literally celebrating his new found fame.

Members of the Government from the Prime Minister down have described the attack as horrid.

The video showing the attack is all over the news and the Internet, and hence has been given wide exposure in Ecuador. The Ecuador Foreign Minister, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, was right when she said that it was an error to allow the attacker to go free from the court, but now it seems there is an agreement between the Spanish and Ecuadorian governments so that any racialist or xenophobic action will be harshly dealt with.

Xavier Martin Martínez in his local bar yesterday - Photo EFE
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So for all his cockiness, Xavier Martin Martínez, is set to be made an example of later today, and quite right too.

Interestingly there has been no discussion about the use of such closed circuit footage here in Spain. The idea of invasion of privacy has not taken root at all.

What has been debated in the media has been the attitude of another young man who was seated in the train, and shown clearly in the video. He did nothing, and has come in for considerable criticism because of it.

It begs the question, put yourself in his shoes. Would you rush to help the victim, or simply look the other way?

Today the courts have the chance to make up for that passenger’s cowardice, and their original error.


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ALSO SEE :
• Spain criticises Italian policy towards immigration - May 17, 2008 - 12:07 PM
• Order to remove racist sign outside Mallorca computer shop - May 12, 2008 - 3:39 PM
• Demonstrations across Spain against Racism - Oct 27, 2007 - 8:13 PM
• Barcelona racist thug released, but must report to the police twice a day - Oct 26, 2007 - 8:19 AM
• Re-arrest of alleged Barcelona racialist ordered - Oct 24, 2007 - 1:41 PM
• Suspected racist attack in Berza - Apr 5, 2006 - 11:32 PM
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