[ READ ALSO: #HateCrimes2017 Drastic increase in street attacks in Argentina] “The doctors told us that his eye exploded right there from the rock. That when he arrived at the hospital, he only had the socket,” his sister, Paula, told Presentes. After the attack, the assailant and his friends ran away. Some boys who were walking behind them—and saw everything—came out to chase them, but when they caught up, they were also beaten. The attackers managed to escape.

Justice for Gaby

The first thing her sister Paula did was contact INADI (National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism). “When it all happened, we didn't know what to do, so we posted something on Facebook. An advisor from INADI contacted us, and they helped us with everything we needed to do: filing a police report and a court order,” she told Presentes. The report was filed at the Second Police Station and Court Number 5. It doesn't yet have a formal charge, and only today did the police begin reviewing security camera footage to identify the attackers, who, according to witnesses, are over 25 years old. “The police only started to take action when the incident became public. Otherwise, they would have told my mother not to make a fuss, that it could be dangerous or could cause the attacker to flee the province. But we shouldn't be afraid, and we have to report these things so they don't happen again,” Paula added. According to her sister, Gaby is now at home, receiving support, waiting for her wounds to heal so she can travel to Buenos Aires to be with her family and get a prosthesis.

Many reports of homophobia in San Juan

In an interview with Presentes, Silvia Martín, head of the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) in San Juan, explained that the agency is waiting for the aggressor to be identified so they can take action and send the information to Buenos Aires. If homophobia is determined to be the motive, this could serve as evidence in court to modify the charges, add a hate crime aggravating circumstance, and increase the sentence. But there isn't even a suspect yet. “Unfortunately, we receive many complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation. It's one of the most frequently reported reasons, along with disability. We've never had one this serious, but last year, for example, a young man was prevented from donating blood because he's gay. There's a lot of homophobia in San Juan,” Martín told Presentes. Paula, for her part, said that Gaby is always harassed in the street, but he had never been beaten or assaulted like this. “San Juan is a very conservative province. That's why, more than ever, we need to report these things, so people aren't afraid and this doesn't happen anymore.” According to a survey by organizations, street attacks motivated by hatred based on sexual orientation and gender identity have increased dramatically in the last year. The Observatory of Hate Crimes against the LGBT Community of the Ombudsman's Office of the City of Buenos Aires and FALGBT reported that in 2017, in the City of Buenos Aires alone, there were 61 reported cases of violence or street attacks based on sexual orientation or gender identity and 11 murders (9 of trans women and transvestites; one of a trans man and one of a cisgender gay man). Argentina still lacks an anti-discrimination law that addresses these cases.