Police investigate after East London homophobic assault
"HOMOPHOBIA is still alive and well guys!"
A couple has been attacked by a gang in East London, the latest homophobic attack in the capital. The incident left one man seeking hospital treatment.
The attack happened on Sunday (1 October) in Chadwell Heath, outside the Foodies restaurant on High Road at about 5:30 pm.
Posting about the attack on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday (2 October) one of the men, Brad, explained what happened. He also posted images of his partner seemingly in hospital with an injury above his left eye.
He said the two were walking down the street when a group of boys directed homophobic slurs at them.
“My boyfriend turned around & simply asked what was the need for that & why they had to call us those slurs,” Brad went on. The gang then continued to threaten the pair.
“One of them broke off a piece of large wood w [sic] nails and threatened him w [sic] it,” Brad then wrote. The gang then physically attacked Brad’s boyfriend.
“The fact that this has happened is absolutely DISGUSTING,” Brad continued. “Also, the fact that so many people were watching on the high street.”
Brad has said that everyone in the fast food restaurant, Foodies, was watching the whole time. He said this was “appalling and just shows what society is like and has been like for so long.” He also wrote in another post “HOMOPHOBIA is still alive and well guys!”
The two men were helped by two women, Ellie and Molly, who Brad said drove by. “Verbal or physical, homophobia/transphobia is a real thing,” Brad closed.
“No arrests have been made”
The Metropolitan police has told Attitude it is investigating the assault, which it said “is being treated as homophobic.”
Police also said both victims were in their 20s and that one man was briefly hospitalised after the attack. He has since been discharged.
“No arrests have been made,” the police added.
The attack follows new statistics showing that hate crimes based on sexual orientation have doubled in the last five years.
The Office for National Statistics reports that anti-trans hate crime has risen 11% in England and Wales in the last year.
A report from the Home Office suggests the increase in attacks can be attributed in part to politicians and media coverage focused on trans issues may have stoked more hate crimes.
Any witnesses or anyone with any information or footage is asked to call police on 101 or contact via ‘X’ Twitter @MetCC. Please quote CAD 5640/01OCT.
To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.