The Spanish city of A Coruña has recognised two Senegalese migrants who intervened and tried to save a gay man who was attacked and killed by a homophobic mob in 2021.

When 24-year-old nursing assistant Samuel Luiz stepped out of a nightclub to video chat with a friend in July 2021, two men wrongly accused him of trying to film them. One man punched him, leaving him with a badly bruised face, before returning with 12 others who violently attacked him.

Ibrahima Diack and Magatte N’Diaye were the only two people who stepped in and tried to save him during the attack. Together, they managed to push the first attacker away, while CCTV footage showed many bystanders who watched the attack or recorded it on their mobile phones.

Luiz sadly died from his injuries in hospital, and his death sparked nationwide protests and calls for justice throughout the country.

Four years later, on Monday, February 24, the city of A Coruña hosted a formal ceremony celebrating the two men’s heroism. The pair were granted “adopted sons of the city” status by Mayor Inés Rey, after being recognised for their acts of “pure altruism”.

Mayor Rey observed that Diack and N’Diaye were the only people who risked their own safety to try to help Luiz, sharing: “That two undocumented migrants were the only ones who physically risked themselves to help the victim of a pack thirsting for horror leaves much food for thought and a series of lessons.”

 

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During Monday’s ceremony, they were each presented with plaques reading ‘Adopted Sons of A Coruña’. According to the BBC, Diack and N’Diaye had been living in the Spanish city without documentation, which put them at risk of deportation. 

Councillor Rosalía López said: “Thank you for your example in risking everything despite having a lot to lose.”

Diack told reporters: “I was born in a family that doesn’t have much… but they gave me many things more valuable than money. They gave me respect, education and above all, values.”

The pair also served as crucial witnesses during the trial in November, where a jury found four men guilty of his murder. Although 12 assailants were involved in the brutal attack, only four have been sentenced.

Presiding judge Elena Fernanda Pastor Novo described the impact the attack had on Luiz’s family, saying they have experienced “significant psychological suffering beyond the pain inherent in the loss of a son and a brother”.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the murder, calling the homophobic attack a “merciless act”. He promised the country “will not take a step backwards when it comes to rights and freedoms and Spain will not tolerate this.”