Possible Suicide Linked to Eviction

The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan regional police) are investigating the death of a 60-year-old man found in a former commercial premises on Martí i Blasi street in the Florida neighbourhood of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. The body was discovered on Wednesday 30 September at approximately 12:50 PM, after a friend alerted emergency services via the 112 number. The caller had noticed the shutter of the premises partially raised since Tuesday afternoon and, upon returning the next day to find it unchanged, decided to report it. Officers attending the scene found no signs of forced entry or criminality, and initial findings suggest the man died by suicide.

Note Cites Impending Eviction

According to investigative sources cited by El Món, the man left a written note stating he was taking his own life because he faced an imminent eviction from the property and felt unable to stop it. The premises, which he used as his residence, were due for eviction proceedings in the coming days. The victim, named locally as Javier, worked as a shoemaker and was officially registered in Bellvitge, another district of L'Hospitalet, according to the Ajuntament (city council). He slept some nights in a studio elsewhere in the city but increasingly spent time at the shop, which served as both workplace and home.

The case adds to growing public concern over housing insecurity in Catalonia.

This incident follows the recent suicide of Olga, a 54-year-old woman and resident of the Santa Eulàlia neighbourhood in the same city, who took her own life on 7 September after being evicted in April. Community groups have criticised institutional inaction, noting she had previously expressed suicidal thoughts. It also occurs against a backdrop of national protests sparked by the eviction of Maricarmen, an 87-year-old woman removed from her Madrid home, which triggered demonstrations in Barcelona and other cities. Campaigners continue to demand stronger tenant protections and expanded access to social housing. The L'Hospitalet Investigation Unit now leads the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the man’s death. While the judicial on-duty court has taken custody of the body, personal details and further information remain under investigation.

Primary sources: inventariarxiu.l-h.cat, Dep. Interior Generalitat Catalunya. Reported by elmon.cat, Joan Antoni Guerrero Vall, lavanguardia.com, ACN, en.ara.cat, nbcnews.com, cnn.com, cadenaser.com, publico.es, newtral.es, rtve.es, theguardian.com, bbc.com.