arsonists fire-bombed the home of the family of a Spanish man, Rafael Hidalgo Castro, who has been in jail since December 1st accused of murder

Police are fearing a backlash of reprisals against the family, who were forced to abandon their home several days ago.
Nobody was injured last Saturday night when arsonists fire-bombed the home of the family of a Spanish man, Rafael Hidalgo Castro, who has been in jail since December 1st accused of the murder of a Gypsy man, 51-year-old José Reyes, on November 9th.
The victim's son is calling for calm and said that those responsible for the attack "are not doing us any favours in our struggle for justice for our father's murder. We are not looking for revenge. If we had, we would already have exacted it." The incident took place in Santiago, one of the poorest districts of Bujalance and home to both Spanish and Gypsy families. At the time of the murder, Castro had been on the run since February 2006, when he failed to return to jail after being granted an eight-hour pass to visit his sick mother, and since when police suspect him of committing around 25 other offences. Local mayor, Rafael Cañete, described the incident as "totally deplorable, adding that: "If we start down this violent path, nothing will get resolved. Rafi's family has not done anything and the Talion Law of an eye for an eye is not the solution."

You Might Also Like :