The five people arrested for the homophobic attack on rugby player Jonathan Castellari have been released.

The five assailants who perpetrated the homophobic attack against Jonathan Castellari on December 1st were released from custody. “Judge Baños did not consider that they could obstruct the investigation or flee, which is why preventive detention was not ordered,” Gastón Llopart, the victim's lawyer, told Presentes. However, the assailants were charged with aggravated assault, with the aggravating circumstance of the victim's sexual orientation.

#HateCrimes2017: More than 400 reports of violence against LGBT people in Paraguay

This past year was a particularly violent one for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and transvestite people in Paraguay. While there are no official records of cases of discrimination, assault, and murder—and the country lacks anti-discrimination legislation or laws aggravating circumstances for gender-based violence—LGBT civil society organizations keep their own tallies, which exceeded 400 reports in 2017.