In 2022, 25-year-old nurse and activist Kehinde Oluwatobi Akeju was subjected to a wave of racist abuse on Instagram. Anonymous hate-filled messages flooded her page for several days. She became afraid to leave her home, not knowing who was behind the aggressive words—a stranger, a coworker, or even a neighbor. Panic attacks became a regular occurrence for her.
It all began after a photo of Akeju at an anti-racist rally in 2017 surfaced online, in which she holds a sign reading: “Yo soy negra, soy persona.” The image triggered a series of offensive comments that quickly spread to other accounts. For Akeju, who is known for her strong stance against racism, these attacks were not only a personal threat but also an attempt to silence her.
Unwilling to accept the situation, she turned to the Bilbao police. During the investigation, officers from the Ertzaintza identified the perpetrator. He turned out to be a 40-year-old man from a small town in the province of Toledo, known for its windmills. His Instagram account contained symbols linked to radical movements, and the email address referenced historical events from World War II.
According to lawyer Akeju, this case stands out among other similar incidents. The victim—a young Black woman and an active human rights advocate—was targeted on multiple grounds. The online attack was an attempt to silence her and restrict her freedom of expression, which is especially dangerous for women with a public presence in the digital space.
The prosecution classified the defendant’s actions as a hate crime. The indictment stated that insults such as “negruza,” “macaco,” and similar terms degrade the dignity of Black people and contribute to the spread of racist attitudes. The defendant faced 15 months in prison, a ban on working in government and educational institutions, a fine, and moral damages in the amount of 2,500 euros.
During the trial, the man denied his guilt, but on the day of the hearing at the Provincial Court of Bizkaia, he admitted to the facts in order to reach a plea deal with the prosecution. As a result, he avoided prison due to having no prior convictions and because the sentence was less than two years, but he was required to publish an apology and the court verdict on the same account from which he spread the insults.
According to the lawyer, the main objective was to have the harm recognized and to obtain official confirmation that such words are not merely insults, but a crime with serious consequences for the victims. For Akeju, what mattered most was that the court acknowledged the hate crime and ordered the offender to make a public apology.
In Spain, the number of hate crimes on the internet continues to rise. According to the Ministry of the Interior, more than 2,600 incidents involving the publication of racist, xenophobic, or other extremist content on social networks were recorded in 2023. However, only half of these posts were removed by the platforms. TikTok has been the most effective at tackling such content, followed by Instagram and Facebook.
Authorities note that combating such crimes requires efforts not only from law enforcement but also from the internet platforms themselves. Despite the fact that most victims do not go to the police, last year 215 cases of online hate crimes were investigated, nearly half of which were related to racism and xenophobia. In 123 cases, the perpetrators were identified, most often in connection with threats and public incitement to hatred.
The Akedju case has shown that online anonymity does not guarantee impunity. The court ruling demonstrated that even if insults are made in the virtual space, they can have real consequences for those responsible. This precedent is important for everyone facing bullying and discrimination online and underscores the need for active efforts to combat hate crimes in Spain.
