In the San Miguel del Padrón district of Havana, a man narrowly escaped being lynched by neighbors who accused him of attempting to sexually assault a 13-year-old boy. This incident took place on Wednesday, January 1st, as reported by Mario Vallejo, a journalist with Univision, on Facebook. Vallejo mentioned that the crowd attacked the individual with a stick, leaving him severely beaten.
"He was left on the ground outside his own home with a fractured finger, rib, and arm, along with several stitches on his head," Vallejo detailed. The most astonishing part, according to witnesses who sent him footage, was that while the chaos ensued, some men near the suspect's house took advantage of the situation to rob the man who had faced the neighborhood's justice.
Eventually, the man was detained and taken to the 11th Police Unit in the area. Vallejo clarified that forensic tests were conducted on the minor, and no evidence of sexual assault was found.
The journalist shared photos and videos capturing the brutal nature of the attack. In the footage, an elderly woman, presumably the boy's grandmother, is seen hitting the man with a stick while he sits in a chair at his doorstep. As the attack continued, he fell to the ground, and she kept striking him, fueled by shouts of "Hit him hard," "Scoundrel," and "So he learns" from onlookers who watched in shock. Only one woman intervened to stop the assault, leaving the alleged abuser severely injured and possibly unconscious beneath the chair.
The incident sparked varied reactions among readers of both posts. While some justified the violence, given the accusations of sexual abuse, others condemned it as an abuse of power, insisting that the matter should have been handled by the police.
Community Reactions to Alleged Abuse Incident in Havana
What was the community's response to the alleged abuser?
The community reacted violently, attacking the man with a stick and leaving him with multiple injuries. Some residents even took advantage of the chaos to rob him.
What were the results of the forensic tests on the minor?
The forensic tests conducted on the minor did not find any evidence of sexual assault.
How did the public react to the incident on social media?
There were mixed reactions; some supported the violent response due to the nature of the accusations, while others argued that the situation should have been handled legally by the authorities.