The five accused of the crime of Samuel Luiz appeared face to face at the Provincial Court of La Coruña. They kept their gaze forward at all times without collapsing, each with their version of events, convinced that theirs would be true. After listening to the parties, the defendants’ lawyers tried to clarify one thing, that their clients were innocent and, therefore, They deserved absolution.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office requested, like the other accusations made – the family and the Hélas Corogne LGTBI group – the conviction for the crime of murder with treason and cruelty for the five accusedall as co-perpetrators, which would result in sentences of between 22 and 27 years in prison.
When it was the defense’s turn, the first to address the jury was the lawyer of Alexander FreireDavid Freire. He requests the acquittal of his client, accused of 22 years sentence for hitting and attacking Samuel from behind and applying the mataleón technique to him.
“It is not possible to attribute facts to a group. Everyone will have their responsibility, so We must be scrupulous about the degree of participation of each person“, recounted the defense. With this, she encouraged the members of the jury to try to identify which were the people who had the intention to kill and those who wanted to cause injury. Likewise, she focused on the statement of Kaio Amaral, as well as with his girlfriend, against the rest of the accused.
Alejandro Freire, with his lawyer David Freire at the trial of the Samuel de A Coruña case
“He may be a coward, but he’s not a murderer.”
He followed that Manuel Ferreiro, lawyer of Alejando Míguez Roca. He is accused of punching and kicking Samuel Luiz, preventing him from fleeing his attackers. For this reason, they are asking for 22 years in prison. However, his lawyer defends that there is “not a single image in which we see his client attacking the young man”.
The defendants Alejandro Freire and Alejandro Míguez with their lawyers during the trial for the crime of Samuel Luiz in La Coruña
“My client may be an idiot or a coward for not having defended the victim and not intervening, but he is not a murderer,” Ferreiro admits. “No one saw him hit the victim. There is not a single frame in which we see my accused place a single hand on him.“, he adds. He even admits that his client “is afraid”, believing that he is being accused of an act of which there is no visual proof.
“He never touched or hit Samuel”
In the case of Kaio Amaral, defended by José Ramón Sierrais accused of two criminal acts, because in addition to participating in the beating, it was he who stole the victim’s cell phone while she was dying. They are asking for 22 years in prison for murder and an additional 5 years for violent robbery. Facts for which he was placed in preventive detention, which he has been serving since 2021.
Kaio Amaral and Katy Silva, accused of the crime of Samuel Luiz in La Coruña
“Being imprisoned does not entail guilt. He is accused of kicking and punching, but his DNA was not found on the victim’s body.“, he declared. He recalled that there is no hate crime in any of the accusations, but that there is discrimination. “He is not going to take advantage of his right not to testify. Kaio is in prison and says he never touched or hit Samuel, so he will ask for a double discharge,” he concludes.
“I didn’t have to be there.”
“What is this girl doing here?” » began the lawyer. Katy Silva this morning during the presentation of the defense accounts. Luciano Prada began by introducing the girl who was sitting there. “Katy was 18 that day. Today she’s 22. She had only been in a relationship with this boy for three months. It was the first time she went out with her boyfriend’s gang, It wasn’t even his gang,” she said. He clarified that there were homosexuals in his group of friends.
“She is a girl who studies, lives with her mother, who has never been in trouble with the law, nothing at all. I agree, it was a stalking, an outrage. She was at the wrong time with the wrong people. She didn’t do it. I don’t have to be there,” he said. With this, he claims to have tried to separate his ex-partner from Samuel and to avoid the attack.
Katy Silva and Diego Montaña at the trial of Samuel Luiz in La Coruña
“I was so bad.”
Luis Manuel Salgado, lawyer of Diego Montañadefended that his client was intoxicated at the time of the incident. “He was so upset that he fell down the platform stairs and got confused and thought they were recording him,” he said. “It is despicable and unjustifiable. He did not hit him because he was homosexual. I defend that Diego did not hit Samuel and did not attack him because Samuel was homosexual,” he said. he concluded in his defense.
He is accused of being the first to attack Samuel Luiz after accusing him of having recorded him with his cell phone. SO, 25 years in prison are requested. Diego was also Katy’s partner at that time.
What is each accused of?
Mountain Diego It was he who allegedly launched the attack against Samuel. They are asking for 25 years for him. HAS Alexander Freireaged 22, is accused of having hit him and having committed a murder. Alejandro Miguez Rocafor which the prosecutor is asking for 22 years in prison for punching and kicking, would also have prevented the victim from fleeing.
Kaio Amaral Silva He is the one who faces the longest sentence: 27 years. The prosecution accuses him of having participated in the fight and of having stolen Samuel’s cell phone. Catherine (or Katy) Silva Barros She was the girlfriend of Diego Montana. She prevented anyone from helping the victim. They are asking for 25 years in prison.
This Thursday, October 17, the testimony of two of the accused will take place.Alejandro Míguez and Katy Silva and the start of testimonies with two friends of the victim and two Senegalese citizens present at the scene of the events.
