US student branded in homophobic attack
Updated story: ‘Student lied about anti-gay attack’
A student at the University of North Carolina had his wrist burned with a hot object in a homophobic attack.
Freshman Quinn Matney may be permanently scarred after the incident, which took place last week on campus.
He told local media that he was crossing a footbridge near his halls on April 4th when a man grabbed his wrist and branded it while shouting anti-gay abuse.
Mr Matney told NBC17: “Someone ended up reaching over and grabbing my wrist and pressed a scalding hot piece of metal on it. He said ‘here’s a taste of hell you [expletive] fag!’’
He said he had to punch the man in the face to make him let go.
The student suffered third and fourth-degree burns through his muscle to the tendon. He may have nerve damage and also acquired an infection from the burn which got into his bloodstream.
It is not clear what the object was, although it left a distinctive figure-of-eight mark on his skin.
Students were not told of the attack until yesterday and some have accused the university of failing to inform them about possible dangers.
Police are treating the incident as a hate crime.
