Stand with Benji: Fight for Fair Trial

Dear Friends, Family, and Family of Friends and Friends of Family,

Late on the evening of May 4th, 2024, our 15 year old son Benji was violently attacked and left for dead in our quiet neighborhood outside of Barcelona. As expatriates we have been struggling to guarantee a fair trial and justice for his assailants, and we are humbly asking for help to secure private prosecutorial representation.

** WARNING - graphic detail below **

Those of you who know us, know how much Benji LOVES his walks. Just as in Wisconsin, it was common for Benji to be out walking at all hours, up to 8-10 miles a day. Earlier in that evening of May 4th, he and his friend Arkhip had been on a walk and ran into 3 young men who began to exchange words with Arkhip (due to some things that had happened months ago). This spooked the boys enough that they headed straight home, telling Gore that they “almost got into a fight”.

Around 11p, Arkhip left to go home and Benji made a decision to follow him home, telling us later that he “just had a bad feeling about things”. He did not find Arkhip, but he did encounter the 3 young men and took it on himself to confront them and tell them to leave his friend alone.

There was some shoving and then one of the 3 broke a glass beer bottle and slashed it across Benji’s face. From his recollection, Benji put up a brief fight to defend himself, but eventually collapsed and then fought to maintain consciousness while he listened to his blood dripping out of his head. By the pure grace of God, another young man witnessed the entire thing and not only called for help but stayed with Benji while they waited for the emergency services to show up.

The police immediately called us and Dave was at the location within moments. The scene was so gruesome that they would not allow Dave to see Benji up close, but he could see enough to note that Benji was in a pool of blood that was several feet in diameter.

The assailant sliced him from just outside of his left eye to behind his left ear. They narrowly missed impacting Benji’s left eye, caught an artery in his temple, and also cut the back of his ear so it detached from his skull. Brain scans showed no internal bleeding and the critical responders at the hospital were able to stitch and glue him back together, sending him home late May 5th.

This has been a horrific experience for so many reasons. Until this experience, we have had no reason to feel unsafe here in Sant Cugat, hence why we trusted Benji and his friend to be walking around so late at night. Benji has been traumatized and is no longer comfortable going on his long, meditative walks around our neighborhood. When he approaches a group of teenagers, he clams up and cannot proceed. The physical injuries have left a scar on his face that will need cosmetic surgery if and when he chooses to correct it.

We intend to claim all of the physical and emotional damages in our trial, but justice has been evasive. We’ve learned that the assailants have connections in the local police department, and that it is common for defendants to drive years and years of appeals under the assumption that expatriates will lose their motivation and just walk away. We have found a legal team that we trust to take this case and see it through to closure, which could be 18-24 months.

The proposed/asked amount of 10k Euro, 10,840 USD, will cover the fees proposed by the private prosecutor will cover prep, private investigation, and trial prep and delivery. While we are seeking compensation for damages including the attorney fees, there will be no guarantee of receiving any type of compensation, even if the assailants are found guilty. We wish we were not in a situation where a victim is required to pay, but this investment in a private prosecutor is our best, and possibly our only, chance to hold these young men accountable for the damage they have done to Benji.

Your generosity and support during this challenging time would mean the world to us. We are grateful for any contribution you can make, whether big or small, as it will bring us one step closer to achieving the justice that Benji deserves.

Thank you for taking the time to read our plea and for considering our request for assistance. Your kindness and support give us strength as we navigate this difficult journey.

With heartfelt gratitude,

The Vande Walle-Gore Family