Man Commits Suicide After Eviction Notice Served On Barcelona Home
A 58-year-old man who was facing eviction from his apartment, has committed suicide by jumping into the inner patio of the building in which he lived in the Sants district of Barcelona.
The tragic incident happened today, Tuesday 15th June, when housing officials rang the doorbell of his apartment in Sants, to execute the eviction warrant.
It has been reported in local media that the man had a tenancy agreement since 2018 but had not paid the rent since June of last year.
Earlier this year, the landlord filed for breach of contract and the eviction proceedings were approved by the court.
A Catalan HIgh Court (TSJC) report stated that the man had refused the protocol for social services to be involved which could have resulted in him being rehoused in social housing.
Last Thursday, the man presented a municipal report prepared by Barcelona city council to stop his eviction, however it did not meet the legal requirements to suspend the eviction and the Barcelona Court rejected it.
Accordingly, the court went ahead with the process and officials arrived this morning to execute the eviction order.
According to the Spanish daily newspaper, El País, when they rang the bell, the man, who was alone, opened it and said “wait a minute”. He then jumped into the inner patio of the building, and died from injuries sustained in the fall.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.