Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Medical Student Assaulted In Reported Hate Crime

A Georgetown medical student was allegedly assaulted with a glass bottle while homophobic slurs were shouted at him three blocks from campus early Saturday morning, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

While walking along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal path by the 1100 block of 34th Street, the victim, who wished to remain anonymous, and his friend were approached by two unknown males of Middle Eastern descent in their 20s, as described by the MPD report. It stated that the suspects then asked both of them about their sexual orientation, and the victim replied that he was gay.

According to the report, the victims were called “fucking faggots” and “fucked up” and were told by the suspects “that [the victims] would be stoned in their country of origin.” These statements were followed by a series of other homophobic comments, the report states.

Following the verbal abuse, one suspect began urging the other suspect to hit the victims with a glass vodka bottle, the report states, leading the suspect to hit the complainant on the left cheek with the bottle. The victim was knocked unconscious from the blow. One suspect fled westbound along the 3500 block of M Street while the other suspect ran eastbound along the 3400 block of M Street, according to the report.

Both of the suspects were arrested by MPD officers later that morning and are currently in custody, the report states.

The victim was hospitalized and treated for contusions and swollenness in the face but was later released, the report states. At this time, the victim is considered to be in good condition.

The victim declined to comment for this report.

PD informed Georgetown about the reported hate crime yesterday, prompting the university to send out a broadcast e-mail last night. Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson said in the e-mail that university administrators, including Sivagami Subbaraman, the director of the LGBTQ Resource Center, have reached out to the victim with support and resources.

PD classified the incident as a bias-related assault with a deadly weapon, the report states, and the department’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit has been contacted to treat the case as a hate crime.

Last year, two reported hate crimes against homosexual students led to the creation of the LGBTQ Resource Center, which opened this fall. This is the first major hate crime against a Georgetown student brought to public attention since the center opened.

Subbaraman could not be reached for comment last night.

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