A MOB in Mexico attacked a young political adviser and then set him on fire over child trafficking accusations shared on chat groups, said local authorities yesterday.

Daniel Picazo, 31, was lynched by a crowd of 200 people in central state Puebla, after accusations that a suspected child kidnapper entered the town were widely shared on messaging platforms, said municipal authorities.

Police attempted to rescue the man and placed him inside a patrol car, but the mob forced him out and into a sports field where he was beaten, doused with gasoline and set on fire while still alive.

“This is not justice, but barbarism,” said Huachinango municipality, which administers Papatlazolco where the lynching took place, in a statement.

“Competent authorities are already investigating what happened to determine responsibility.”

The body was recovered after the mob left the area.

Picazo served as an adviser at the legislative Chamber of Deputies until March, said the institution on social media while condemning the lynching.

Mob justice is not uncommon in parts of Mexico, particularly in more remote areas where police are slow to arrive.

One of the most dramatic cases occurred in 2019, also in Puebla, when seven men were beaten and burned alive. – AFP, June 13, 2022.