Man knocked unconscious after being paid Sh450 to be punched in the face

A homeless man says he accepted five euros to be knocked unconscious in a sadistic street attack.

The victim came forward after Spanish detectives released sickening footage of the incident and appealed to the public for more information.

The short clip showed the unidentified male being knocked to the ground as he smiled at the camera.


After falling backwards, he then hit his head on a stone bench as he fell in a square in the old town of the Gran Canaria capital, Las Palmas.

The video finished as he lay apparently unconscious on the ground.

The Civil Guard published the footage, first posted by Twitter user @canarioenjaula, on the force’s official Twitter feed.

The caption read: “Can you help us to find the people responsible for this savage act? Help us so it doesn’t go unpunished.”

On Monday night it emerged the victim was a rough sleeper who was knocked out after agreeing to be hit so he could earn just £4.20 (€5).

The 34-year-old, identified only as Pedro, told a Canarian TV station he had no intention of pressing charges over the incident, insisting: “I was offered five euros in exchange for a whack in the face and I got my money.”

He also confirmed he had been knocked unconscious and had no recollection of the incident.

The Good Samaritan who first posted it online identifying the victim as someone from Agaete in the north of Gran Canaria, said in his message, which was retweeted by the police: “This has happened to a poor lad from Agaete.

“If any officials are reading and seeing this, please catch the animals responsible and hit them at least with the same force this boy received. This is totally unacceptable.”

Detectives on the island confirmed today an investigation was underway but declined to release any more details.

Subsequent reports before the victim was tracked down by local media, said the incident had occurred in Vegueta in the old town of the Gran Canaria capital Las Palmas.

One social media user identified the location as Plaza Santo Domingo, a square which is home to one of the oldest churches in the island capital surrounded by restaurants and bars.

Another suggested the aggressors had to be local because one called the victim by his first name and flagged up the fact they could be caught by a tattoo on the leg of one of the men filmed rushing up to him as he lay sprawled on the ground.

An island resident who viewed the footage said: “The way he fell on the stone bench doesn’t look good. I hope that as it’s going viral, they catch the people responsible. Gran Canaria is a small place.”

It was not immediately clear if police will still try to apprehend the attackers despite the victim coming forward to say he has no intention of pressing charges.


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Homeless man