Man injured in Paceville, says he was victim of hate crime

A young man took to Facebook this morning to share photographs of injuries he endured after allegedly being attacked for being gay the evening before.

The man said that the aggressors asked him if he was gay and attacked him after he replied to the affirmative.

“They punched me for being gay,” the post read. “Even in Malta, these things are happening."

The incident allegedly took place in St. Julians as the youth was walking home. “They beat me like crazy, all my body is violet,” Clif Debono wrote in a comment.

MaltaToday contacted police to confirm whether Debono had placed report, but no reply has been forthcoming from the police communications office as of yet.