Man in Spain faces prison for telling Moroccan woman to «go back to Morocco»

The public prosecutor in Alicante, southeastern Spain, has requested a one-year prison sentence for a man accused of committing a hate crime. The charges stem from an incident in which the man verbally assaulted a Moroccan woman who was ahead of him in line at a health center in Villajoyosa. The man directed racist insults at the woman, including calling her a «dirty Moroccan» and telling her to «go to a health center in Morocco».

According to the High Court of Justice of the Valencia region, the trial is scheduled for next Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the second chamber of the Alicante Court of Appeals.

The incident took place on August 1, 2023. The accused allegedly approached the reception queue at the health center in Villajoyosa, where the Moroccan woman was waiting her turn like any other patient.

Motivated by racial prejudice, the man reportedly insulted the woman in front of other patients and staff, saying: «dirty Moroccan», «you should go to a health center in Morocco», and «it's my turn, and I'm fed up with these dirty Moroccans».

According to the indictment, the man also raised his hand near the victim's face while continuing to hurl insults in an aggressive manner.