E/CN.4/2000/16 page 28 person who had provoked the attack was drawn up. That person was subsequently tried and sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment and a fine of 210,000 pesetas, to be paid to the victim in respect of his injuries, which took a month to cure. 119. Contrary to what is stated in the allegation, the injuries sustained have not had the serious consequences mentioned in the statement. It should also be mentioned that, contrary to the allegations put forward by SOS Racismo, which submitted the complaint, the courts did not make any mention in their judgement of criminal behaviour inspired by racism or xenophobia. The victim had not experienced any other incidents of this type during his 23 years of residence in Spain. (o) Tarrassa (Barcelona) 120. The dwelling of a Senegalese family and an Arab butcher’s shop set on fire (December 1997). According to some of the information received, the perpetrators of these two racist and xenophobic attacks appear to have been youths inspired by fascist ideology and connected with the “white and blue” squads which are responsible for the fascist graffiti which have appeared all over the town. The two incidents appeared within the space of a few hours only. In the first case, the entrance to an Arab butcher’s shop belonging to a Moroccan national was set on fire; a few hours later, persons unknown set fire to the dwelling of a Senegalese family. Nobody was injured, but the population and a number of associations were disturbed by the presence of xenophobic and fascist groups in the town. A few days later over 200 persons demonstrated to express their revulsion at acts of this kind. However, the municipal authorities consider that such acts are “isolated and sporadic”. Government reply 121. As regards the incidents which occurred in Tarrassa during the month of December 1997, it should be stated that following a complaint filed by Malik Ndiaye and Mor Anton Ndiaye, Senegalese nationals, on 20 December, to the effect that the entrance door to their dwelling had been set on fire, the case (No. 12,359) was referred to the local police station in Tarrassa. The fire caught because the door had been splashed with petrol. According to the complainants, a similar incident had already occurred on 22 November 1997. 122. Following a police inquiry, Abraham Escámez Muela and Jonathan Contreras Martínez were arrested and remanded in custody in connection with case No. 12488, which complemented the earlier file. It should be mentioned that these two individuals have a known record of delinquency but are not members of skinhead groups or other similar groups. In addition, on the same day one of the sons of the couple in question lodged a complaint to the effect that he had been the target of racist insults uttered by youths in the neighbourhood. 123. As regards the complaint forming the subject of case No. 12464, lodged at the local police station in Tarrassa on 20 December 1997, in which Said Assarar, born on 16 November 1964 at Kinitra (Morocco), the son of Mohamed and Fatima, residing at 4 Vía Gregal in Tarrassa, alleged that his halal (Muslim) butcher’s shop had been set on fire, it should be pointed out that the damage caused was slight; a 33 cl plastic bottle containing petrol exploded, setting alight the curtain at the entrance to the shop.