A teenager in France has admitted to stabbing a man in the face repeatedly because he thought he was gay.
An 18-year-old in France admitted to police that he stabbed a 71-year-old man because he thought he was gay. The teen then left him for dead in the street, but miraculously the victim survived.
The teen is facing charges of attempted murder, hate crime and armed robbery.
The attack took place around 5:15am on July 16, after which the victim was found lying by a roundabout in the town of Betton, in the eastern part of France, per Pink News.
The 71-year-old had been stabbed six times in the face, suffering fractures to his facial bones.
Several days later, the teen along with another male, aged 17, were arrested in the city of Le Mans. They were apprehended in possession of the victim’s car, which they allegedly stole from him, Rennes prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
“A criminal investigation has been opened into counts of attempted murder due to the sexual orientation of the victim, and robbery with a weapon,” local prosecutors said, according to French LGBTQ+ site Komitid.
During police questioning, the 18-year-old said first met his victim days earlier and they had agreed to meet up.
It’s reported he admitting to “having stabbed the victim in the vehicle and outside it” due to the victim’s “supposed homosexuality… but also with a view to stealing [the car].”
The 17-year-old is not implicated in the stabbing or theft but could be investigated by the prosecutor’s office in Le Mans for having knowingly possessed stolen goods, per LGBTQ Nation.
It has been suggested that the 18-year-old will face charges as an adult, and as such is looking at a life prison sentence.