HATE CRIME

A PUBLIC prosecutor in Valencia is seeking a twoand-a-half-year jail term for a man who blamed the LGBTQ+ community for being the origin of the monkeypox virus.

The man is facing charges of a hate crime, and could also be forced to pay a fine of €3,600 if eventually found guilty.

The case dates back to May 2022, when the accused published an article titled ‘El Chueca Virus-22’, in reference to the well-known gay quarter of Madrid.

In the text on a far-right website, the author said that the LGBTQ+ community was the origin of the virus and used a series of offensive expressions.