Judge raises sentences on suicide boy’s bullies

18 July 2005

SAN SEBASTIAN — A judge has ordered seven out of eight school pupils who were convicted of bullying a teenager who killed himself to serve tougher sentences.

Jokin Ceberio, 14, committed suicide in September last year after a year-long campaign of insults and attacks.

The tragedy happened in Hondarribia, in the Basque Country, north-west Spain.

Seven boys and a girl, who were at the same school with the teenager, were found guilty of abusing Ceberio after a trial in San Sebastian.

They were originally ordered to report on a regular basis to police for 18 months.

Four of them must also serve three weekends in an education centre.

A judge said seven of the eight must now serve two years instead of 18 months.

He said they were guilty of another offence of harming the teenager’s psychiatric health.

Ceberio’s family had attacked the original sentence for being “too lenient” because it failed to take into account his mental suffering.

Miguel Angel Ceberio, Ceberio’s uncle, claimed the group of his nephew’s former school mates had caused his death.

The trial heard how Ceberio had been attacked physically and tormented with insults by the group.

The accused admitted that days before he killed himself, they had subjected him to insults.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news