One of the two girls involved in a quarrel with two young men who called them lesbians needed treatment in her nose which had been broken and took some three weeks to heal, Dr Felipa Da Conha Ezaguy, a Brazilian, told Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna yesterday in the compilation of evidence.

All four are under age. Another accused is a neighbour of the young men, Mary Aquilina, 35.

The young women, aged 16 and 17 testified that on 13 January at about 7.30pm they were dancing in a gazebo when two young men started calling them lesbians, with one of the girls retaliating by calling him “pufta”. Ms Aquilina shouted back from the balcony that she would be going down and pulling out her hair.

The young men came down, the girls testified, and one of the men accosted one of the girls and headbutted her in the nose, after they were involved in a scuffle. They had often been to the gazebo, with other young people, and it had not been the first time that the young men offended them. Once, the young men also threw eggs in the direction of everyone under the gazebo.

Superintendent Charles Magri is prosecuting. Dr Cedrid Mifsud is appearing for the young women; Dr Michael Sciriha and Dr Lucio Sciriha are legal counsel for the young men and Ms Aquilina.

The case continues on 9 May.