17-year-old charged with attempted murder in alleged homophobic hate crime
West Midlands Police said the victim was subjected to homophobic remarks during the attack
By Aaron Sugg
A 17-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder following the serious assault of a 50-year-old man in an attack now being treated as a “hate crime”.
The attack took place in Smethwick, West Midlands, on Sunday (14 June), with the victim remaining in hospital in a critical but stable condition.
West Midlands Police said the victim, who is believed to be Sikh, was allegedly subjected to homophobic remarks during the attack. There was no evidence that the attack was motivated by race or religion.
“This is now being treated as a hate crime” – spokesperson for Sandwell Police announcing the intent of the incident
The charged teenager appeared before magistrates in Birmingham and has been remanded into youth detention.
A second 17-year-old boy was arrested in the Dudley area today (19 June) on suspicion of attempted murder and is due to be questioned.
In light of the arrest, a spokesperson for Sandwell Police said: “In light of new information received, this is now being treated as a hate crime due to a homophobic comment made during the attack.”
Chief superintendent Kim Madill acknowledges the “concern” caused by the incident
As reported by the Birmingham Live, chief superintendent Kim Madill said: “I know the real concern and anger that this attack has caused in the area.”
“I’ve been in touch with representatives from the community throughout the week to reassure them that we are doing everything we can to establish what happened and who was responsible,” she continued.
As investigations continue, police are urging anyone who was in the Tollhouse Way or St Paul’s area to come forward if they have any information, either by calling 101 and quoting incident number 3929 of 14 June or by contacting the force online.