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Brutal Torre Pacheco attack leaves teen traumatised and community on edge
Eight under investigation for racist beating as mother speaks out on lasting impact on her son
Months after racist unrest erupted in Torre Pacheco, a shocking attack on a minor during the summer of 2025 continues to reverberate. Eight men are now under investigation for their alleged involvement in the brutal assault of a 16-year-old boy, two of whom are due to testify on Friday April 20 and Sunday April 22 at the San Javier courthouse.The incident occurred near the Ayuntamiento, following a demonstration in support of Domingo, a pensioner who had been assaulted by a different young man. This event triggered several days of racist confrontations in the town, which also drew far-right radicals from other parts of Spain. Witnesses filmed the attack on mobile phones, showing the teenager being struck while verbal abuse, including shouts of “fucking Moor” and “go back to your country,” escalated into severe physical violence. The Guardia Civil intervened to remove him from the crowd and take him to safety.
The teenager’s lawyer, Sergio Ramos, says the legal process “has only just begun,” noting that the Guardia Civil transferred the investigation to the courts in San Javier, which are heavily backlogged. “They have prioritised the case, but it must be acknowledged that the system is quite saturated,” he said. A forensic examination has documented the physical and psychological impact of the attack, with Ramos adding: “It has changed his personality and altered his habits. Besides that, there was a hate crime, a racist motivation behind the attack.” He also noted that videos clearly show who was responsible, and there may be more suspects than the eight currently under investigation.
The teenager’s mother, Kesia, paints a vivid picture of the attack’s ongoing effect. “My son has become distrustful and suffers from anger issues,” she says. Once outgoing and active, he now avoids social situations and no longer plays football or takes the train to Cartagena. “He has fits of rage at home. They have completely changed him. He is now taking medication, diazepam, to help him sleep. I run into the man who stepped on his head and yelled at him every day, and he hasn’t even been included in the investigation,” she adds.
Kesia continues to support her son’s education and activities despite his fear, paying for a school trip to Greece while he worries about being harmed. “Sometimes I go into the room and find him sitting there, staring at the ceiling,” she admits. She also struggles with long waits for psychological care, with sessions every two to three months, and has relied on NGOs that are no longer providing support.
The Torre Pacheco attack is a stark reminder of how far-right unrest and racial hatred can affect an entire community. The Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia recorded over 190,000 hate messages on social media during July 2025, the same month the disturbances occurred, illustrating the broader context in which this attack took place.
Image: Archive
