A father in Peru has been accused of setting his son on fire after learning he was gay and HIV positive.

The attack occurred in Loreto, a region of Peru deep in the Amazon.

Hitler Baneo Núñez, 49, allegedly tried to burn the victim alive after becoming tired of jokes about his son’s sexuality.

The 20-year-old suffered burns to his face, arms and legs.

The Huffington Post reports the Peruvian daily newspaper La Región as saying neighbours helped save the victim – who is named Roberto by Buzzfeed. He has been living in a nursing home for people with HIV since the beginning of March and is said to be suffering from tuberculosis.

LGBT organisation Comunidad Homosexual de la Región Loreto (CHERL), says the case needs to be treated as a human rights violation and not just an assault.

“We hope that this complaint will be treated seriously by the authorities and that it can generate a change and call attention of the public to the homophobia that lives inside the home and is growing in society towards gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and trans people in the Loreto region,” the group said in a statement.