Spanish police have revealed that a man shot dead after attacking a police station near Barcelona had recently come out as gay and was contemplating suicide, according to his ex-wife's testimony.
Algerian Abdel Wahab Taib, 29, shouted 'Allahu Akbar' as he lunged at a female officer with a knife in Cornellà de Llobregat early on Monday. Police are treating the incident as a terrorist attack, but a source close to the investigation told AFP there is no suspected link to jihadism.
The ex-wife said Taib had revealed his homosexuality and was disturbed about how it fits with the Muslim religion. 'We are putting this down to confusion, a suicide attempt. There are some who do it throwing themselves off a bridge, he opted for this method,' the source said.
Taib had no criminal record and was not under surveillance for radicalisation. Police found letters written by him, one begging Allah for forgiveness. Prosecutors believe he sought religious redemption for what he considered the sin of being gay.
Relatives are considering suing the Catalan regional police for negligent conduct, their lawyer said. The ex-wife's lawyer denied terrorism as the motive, stating Taib was going through a personal crisis.
