Chile: Neo-Nazis who tortured gay man to death apprehended
News server Gaynet.cz reports that the recent death of Daniel Zamudio, a member of the gay community, has turned out to be the last straw for homophobia in Chile. His death sparked debate on the need to adopt a law against crimes motivated by hatred, including homophobia. Now Chilean President Sebastián Pi?era has signed an Anti-Discrimination Law facilitating the prosecution of hate crimes.
It has been four months since Daniel Zamudio passed away. He was assaulted by neo-Nazis in March. Why? Zamudio, age 24, was gay. He was found unconscious in the early morning hours of 4 March by a police officer in a municipal park. He had suffered serious skull injuries. The assailants beat Daniel brutally all over his head and body. They tore off part of his ear, burned him with cigarettes, broke his legs, and carved swastikas on his chest and back. He passed away as a result of the attack on 27 March in the central hospital..
The very next day, the Chilean president expressed his sorrow to Zamudio’s bereaved, even though he was officially traveling in Asia. “The brutal and cowardly attack on Daniel Zamudio, which caused his death, hurts not just his family, but all people of good will. I express to the family, friends and parents of Daniel Zamudio my deepest feelings of love and solidarity. His death will not go unpunished and will strengthen the overall obligation of the Government to fight against arbitrary discrimination, and our country will become more tolerant,” the president wrote.
A law facilitating the prosecution of hate crimes had been waiting for more than seven years to be approved by the Congress in Chile. After the assault on Zamudio, things began to move, and now, within a relatively brief period of time, the president has signed the measure into law.
What about Daniel’s murderers? There were reportedly four people involved and police officers have already arrested suspects who currently face charges of second-degree murder. Their names are: Iván Patricio Ahumada Garay, Fabián Alexis Mora Mora, Alejandro Angulo Axel Tapia and Raúl Alfonso López.
