Teenage boy was brutally attacked because of his bisexuality but attackers avoid jail
The Nuneaton teenager says he feels let down by the UK justice system
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
A teenage boy has claimed he was brutally attacked because he is bisexual.
The teenager – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was attacked by a boy from Coventry and another from Nuneaton and although they pleaded guilty, they have both avoided jail and were given referral orders and made to pay compensation.
Now the teenager and his family believe they have been let down by the UK justice system and his mother told the Coventry Telegraph: “Right up until two days before the court date we were told they were going to be done for hate crime and that at least one of them should have got a prison sentence.
“Instead they both practically got away with it.”
The teenager – who identifies as bisexual – added that the attack was fuelled by his sexuality.
He said: “I feel like no one did their jobs properly because, if they did, one of them would be in jail.
“They attacked me because I am bisexual, what happened has changed my life, it has made me constantly look over my back.”
His mother also described the vicious attack and claimed her son was kicked to the ground and was dragged into a wooded area.
She explained: “He had been out with friends all day, they were approached by one of them who said, ‘What you hanging round with him for, you do know he is bi?’
“Then another said, ‘Is this right?’ and attacked him. Another of them said, ‘I can’t believe you hit him because he is gay’.
“But one of them said, ‘I haven’t got a problem with gay people, but I have got a problem with greedy bis like him’.
“They kicked him on the floor, dragged him into a wooded area and attacked him again’. They told him to tell people he was jumped by three lads in balaclavas.”
The teenager was taken to hospital and his mother recalled not being able to recognise her own son when she saw him.
She added: “I didn’t even recognise him, you could see a trainer mark on his face. I went into shock. I wanted to cry but I couldn’t.”