Watch: Gay Australian Artist Shares Details of Brutal Hate Crime
A gay artist by the name of Aaron in Sydney, Austrailia, was attacked and beaten unconscious while walking home in a gayborhood called Surry Hills around 4 a.m. in June. Local police are reportedly investigating the incident as a hate crime.
As reported by the Star Observer, Aaron revealed news of the incident in a gripping Instagram post and says that he is "fortunate to be alive."
"I hold my hand on my heart when I say I wouldn't wish this on anyone to go through," said Aaron. "I've wanted to hide and this is so big for me to share, it's taken a lot of energy, building up the strength to post and pray the public, can bring justice in a healthy/moral manner."
Aaron shared that he was "kicked, punched, head stomped on" before his assailants fled, and he woke up in the hospital with a broken nose and two eyes swollen shut.
A surveillance video of the attack reveals the men attempting to instigate a fight with Aaron, and Surry Hills Police are now appealing to the public to help them catch the men responsible.
"Five males attempted to instigate a fight with the victim, the victim attempted to avoid the confrontation and walked away. One of the males approached the victim and punched him several times in the face, causing facial injuries. The victim was later transported to hospital due to injuries sustained," the police said.
The attack reportedly left Aaron with $10K dental bill as well as a need for "physio/chiro counselling" as a result of "being victim of a hate crime."
Now he is asking for help on social media to help identify his attackers and to raise money for his growing medical bills. Since the attack, he says he has been unable to breathe properly and has difficult falling asleep because of anxiety.
A GoFundMe page for Aaron has raised around $13,000 so far.