Mexican apologises for beating attendant

MEXICO CITY (AP):

A wealthy Mexican man apologised on Wednesday for beating a parking attendant who refused to show him where to find the jack in his car, the latest in a run of class- and race-discrimination scandals that have drawn outrage in Mexico.

Ademar Gonzalez, the lawyer for parking attendant Hugo Enrique Vera, said Miguel Sacal, the man who beat his client at a luxury apartment building, has agreed to apologise and pay damages for the beating.

Vera said two of his front teeth were broken in the beating, which happened July 8 but didn't come to public attention until a video of the incident was posted on social-networking sites Tuesday. Gonzalez did not reveal the amount of the damage payment.

"Mr Sacal committed outrageous acts that should never happen to anyone, but Hugo Enrique chose the course of legal action to resolve the conflict," Gonzalez wrote in a statement, adding that his client "is grateful for the support of so many Mexicans."

That support was visible on Wednesday, both among the general public and from authorities.

Governmental human rights and anti-discrimination officials said that apart from the assault itself, Sacal could face charges for discrimination. Subtitles on the video, which has no audio track, suggest Sacal called the parking attendant a "cat" , insulting Mexican slang that means roughly "flunky".