A British gay man was violently struck with a hammer while holidaying in Barcelona in an unexpected violent assault.
William, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, had travelled to Barcelona for a relaxing extended trip, however, the journey ended horrifically after he was beaten with a hammer.
The attack occurred on Monday (July 12) in the early hours of the day shortly after William had been spending time meeting friends for a meal.
William had been waiting outside the Axel Hotel, a popular LGBTQ+ venue, while his taxi arrived before he was approached by two men, one of which holding a hammer a weapon.
The British victim recalls feeling “an extremely strong punch” to the side of his face which began to bleed severely. The Brit underwent reconstructive surgery on his jaw on Thursday (15 July).
“There was a lot of blood coming out of my face and I could feel my mouth was destroyed,” William told Pink News. “In that moment I really feared for my life and felt that it could be the end of it.”
The holidaymaker was confused as to why he had been a target that day and has reportedly said he is “in shock, bleeding, still processing and trying to understand why” the attack had happened.
The Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalonia’s police force, are investigating the incident as a “violent robbery”, however, no arrests have currently been made as the research is ongoing.
William believes he was targeted because of his sexuality and not the belongings he had on him.
“Even if you look at this from the logical side of things, who approaches another person and the first thing you do is to smash a hammer in their face without them even knowing they were there?”
As a victim of the suspected homophobic attack, William sent an email to the police expressing his belief that the attack was motivated based on sexuality.
“I want to make one thing clear, I have no doubts that I was a victim of a hate crime, a homophobic attack,” William told Pink News.
“They didn’t smash my face with a hammer because they wanted to rob me. They could have stolen whatever they wanted in many different ways without smashing my face with a hammer.
“I was lying there in a very vulnerable position with my phone in my hands and all my belongings easily accessible. If they wanted to steal them, they would have done it easily.”
Following the horrific attack, Williams said he feels “extremely frustrated” and “lucky” to have escaped alive.
Related: Thousands sign petition to rename street where gay man was brutally killed
Latest
