Spanish prosecutors seek prison for Benidorm officers in hate crime trial

Prosecutors in Alicante are seeking two years and six months of prison and a three-year disqualification for two local police officers in Benidorm. The officers are accused of hate crimes for humiliating and disparaging a transgender woman during the COVID-19 pandemic state of exception on May 1, 2020.

According to the indictment, the officers stopped the victim and used derogatory language. A video of the encounter was recorded by an officer's companion and subsequently shared through police WhatsApp channels before being leaked to social media. The Public Ministry argues the officers acted with discriminatory motivation toward the transgender community.

The defense has requested acquittal, claiming the officers were responding to provocations rather than attacking the collective. During the trial, the accused only responded to questions from their defense counsel.