MADRID — 1977 · Murder
Atocha Lawyers Massacre
On the night of 24 January 1977, during Spain's transition to democracy after Franco, far-right gunmen entered a labour law office at 55 Calle de Atocha in Madrid, linked to the Workers' Commissions union and the Communist Party. Five people were killed, three lawyers, a law student and an office worker, and four were seriously injured. The victims' funeral became a huge silent march for democracy and is credited with paving the way for the Communist Party's legalisation in April 1977. In 1980 three perpetrators received heavy prison sentences; one absconded during leave in 1994, was caught in Brazil in 2018 and extradited to Spain in 2020. Another perpetrator was never tried.
- Date
- 1977
- Place
- Madrid, Spain, Madrid, ES
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 40.4120, -3.6990 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 24 January 1977Five people were killed at the law office at Atocha 55.
- January 1977The funeral became a huge silent march.
- 9 April 1977The Communist Party was legalised.
- 1980Three perpetrators received heavy prison sentences.
- February 2020A fugitive perpetrator was extradited from Brazil to Spain.
Sources
- El País — Lola González Ruiz: 'Me desbarataron mis sueños' elpais.com ↗
- El Mundo — ¿Qué fue de los asesinos de Atocha? elmundo.es ↗
- Wikipedia — 1977 Atocha massacre en.wikipedia.org ↗
- El País
- El Mundo
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.