Guardia Civil arrested two men suspected of being behind the brutal attack on Roberto, a 22-year old man from La Herradura, on the Costa Tropical in Granada Province, during San Juan’s fair held by the town.

The investigation has revealed that three people were involved. Initially, it was believed that there may have been more. The investigation is still ongoing to find and identify the third person.

Roberto was with his sister at around 3am on 22 March at the entrance to La Herradura as they waited for the free bus that Almuñécar town hall had laid on to facilitate movement between the two towns during the fair. When the bus did not arrive, the siblings decided to walk. It was then that the attackers appeared.

“They started getting angry at me, insulting and even hitting me.” The victim told Canal Sur that he didn’t intend to cause trouble and tried to defend himself, but was attacked by four people with punches, kicks, and other weapons. He said that he did not know the aggressors, and that “it all happened very quickly”. He added, “It was gratuitous violent”.

Roberto thought the boys were his cousin’s friends. Four of the boys kicked him repeatedly in the head, while three others grabbed his sister who was trying stop the attack. The attackers fled after the victim’s father, speaking to IDEAL insisted: “They nearly killed him”, came to help. The family then took Roberto to Almuñécar’s health centre and, after waiting for an hour and a half, demanded that he be taken by ambulance to the Santa Ana Hospital in Motril, due to his serious state of health.

The doctors in Motril determined after hours of observation, and several medical tests that there was no brain fracture or stroke. Roberto’s nose and eyes were severely injured, as were his ears, but other parts of the body were also badly damaged.

It was for me a murder, but as long as nothing is broken, there will be little that can be done. This is what justice is like; a disgrace”, explained Roberto’s father, Roberto García, four days later when speaking to IDEAL.

The father stated that it was important that the investigation be conducted properly so that the perpetrators would receive a harsher sentence. If not, the offence will be deemed minor, and they’ll receive a fine, and will repeat it. “We are fighting for justice, and we don’t want them to get away,” he added. “We feel disappointed, because although the boy is strong you can see the photo of the violent aggression he endured,” he continued.