Spanish prosecutor seeks 50 years for Moroccan church attack suspect

A Spanish prosecutor has requested a hefty 50-year prison sentence for “Y.Q.,” a 26-year-old Moroccan man accused of a deadly attack in Algeciras back in January 2023.

The charges stem from the killings of a priest and the serious injury of another during the attack.

The prosecutor’s case seeks a breakdown of the sentence as follows: 25 years for murder with a terrorist motive, 15 years for attempted murder with a terrorist motive, and an additional 10 years for injuring others. They are also seeking compensation for the victim’s family, including €150,000 for the priest’s widow and €50,000 for each of their children.

The prosecution acknowledges a potential mental health aspect to the case. They believe “Y.Q.” may have been suffering from a severe psychotic state, possibly even schizophrenia, at the time of the attack.

While this condition likely impacted his mental capacity, the prosecutor argues it wasn’t so severe as to completely negate his culpability.

The court will determine the extent to which the attack can be attributed to “Y.Q.’s” mental state during the upcoming trial. Currently, he is being held in a psychiatric facility affiliated with a prison. Over the past year, he has undergone various psychological evaluations.

The investigation revealed that “Y.Q.” had been living in Algeciras illegally since at least June 2022, having entered Spain without authorization.

 On the evening of January 25th, 2023, “Y.Q.” allegedly went to the Church of San Isidro with the intention of starting an argument with those present.

He then returned home, deactivated his phone, and hid a large cleaver before heading out again.

According to his own statements, he encountered a Moroccan man on his way who accused him of abandoning Islam.

“Y.Q.” then attacked this man before continuing on to the Church of San Isidro. There, he allegedly attacked a priest with the cleaver, believing him dead. He then proceeded to the Church of La Palma where he fatally attacked Bishop Diego Valencia.