Portuguese Waiter Gets 6-Month Suspended Sentence for Racist Insults to Peruvian Colleague

The Corts court has sentenced a Portuguese temporary waiter to six months' conditional imprisonment for directing repeated racist insults at a Peruvian colleague while working together at a Pas de la Casa restaurant. The ruling, issued on Tuesday after an oral hearing on April 22, also bars the defendant from contacting the victim for four years, with the prison term suspended over the same period.

Judges found the Portuguese man guilty of xenophobic and discriminatory verbal abuse linked to the Peruvian's Latin American background. Specific insults proven in court included "sudaca de mierda" and "latino de mierda," which the victim described as routine during their time at the establishment.

During the trial, the Peruvian worker confirmed the complaint, explaining the ongoing humiliating attacks. The accused rejected any racist intent, claiming the disputes stemmed from the colleague's supposed poor practices, including hygiene lapses that he said kept staff from eating there.

Some reports identify the victim as the kitchen head, while others refer to the individual as a chef or simply a coworker, though all accounts agree on the Peruvian nationality and the nature of the workplace harassment. The sentence is lighter than the 18 months initially sought by prosecutors, but the court upheld the defendant's criminal liability for the proven conduct.