Man sets two lesbian couples on fire in “abhorrent” potential hate crime. One woman died.

One woman was killed and three others severely injured Monday when a man set fire to the room the four women were sharing in a Buenos Aires boarding house.

While police have not yet specified a motive in the horrendous attack, the Buenos Aires Herald reports that the victims were two lesbian couples. In a statement, the Argentine LGBT Federation called the attack “potentially one of the most abhorrent hate crimes in recent years.”

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According to the Buenos Aires Herald, the woman who died has been identified as Pamela Cobas. The three others were taken to local hospitals. On Monday, one remained in critical condition, with burns on 90 percent of her body. The two other women were taken to a separate hospital, where one remained on respiratory assistance Monday with burns covering more than half of her body, while the other was reportedly responding well to treatment but was unable to provide details about the vicious attack.

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A 62-year-old man was arrested for the attack and taken to another hospital, where he was treated for what was believed to be a self-inflicted neck wound. He has remained in police custody since being discharged.

Firefighters reportedly found burned rags soaked in flammable liquid at the scene. The fire spread through the building, and in total, seven people were hospitalized for injuries.

Police are treating the crime as a homicide.

In its statement Monday, the Argentine LGBT Federation drew a direct line from the attack on the four women to Argentinian President Javier Milei’s administration plan, announced in February to shut down the country’s National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism.

“Hate crimes are the result of a culture of violence and discrimination, sustained by hate speech currently endorsed by several government officials,” the Federation’s statement read. “The only spaces to which those of us who are victims of these attacks can resort are being emptied or eliminated by the current government, like the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism (INADI).”

The organization vowed to support the victims and their families and to ensure the case is brought to court.

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