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Barcelona Trial Ends Over Tweet Urging Bullying of Canet Schoolgirl

The case tests the line between political speech and criminal abuse.

Overview

  • Carles F. faced the Audiencia de Barcelona for a December 3, 2021 post urging classmates to bully a child whose family sought 25% of classes in Spanish.
  • The public prosecutor asked for a two-year sentence for a crime against moral integrity, arguing the conduct does not meet the legal definition of a hate crime.
  • The family's private accuser requested six years by framing the conduct as a hate crime, while the defense sought acquittal on freedom-of-expression grounds.
  • The parents described online calls to isolate them, attempts to identify their home, police protection, medical leave, and continuing anxiety affecting their daughter.
  • The hearing concluded with the case taken under advisement, one week after another user was sentenced to two years for a hate crime tied to the same harassment campaign.