Police have arrested four male teenagers, ranging in age between 15 and 18, in connection to the brutal attack on a lesbian couple that occurred on a London bus, Metro reported.
The attack, which took place on May 30, saw the two female passengers allegedly beaten for refusing to kiss in front of a group of men travelling on the same bus.
LGBT hate crimes have reportedly increased in the past several years in the UK.
The Independent reported that more than one in five LGBT people experienced a hate crime or incident due to their sexual orientation or gender identity in 2017.
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The increase in attacks have also resulted in an increase in fear.
Four in five of those LGBT who experienced an attack did not report it to police, and many couples avoid certain streets or public displays of affection with their partners out of fear of being attacked.
Melania Geymonat and her American girlfriend, Chris, were traveling together on the bus in the early hours of the morning.
After boarding the double-decker bus at around 2:30 am and seating themselves at the top level, the two were harassed by a group of young men who had discovered that they were a lesbian couple.
“At some point I do not know if we kissed or hugged or grabbed each other’s hands and they came to us,” Melania told Montevideo Portal .
The group began making sexual gestures towards the couple.
In a Facebook post about the attack, Melania wrote: “They started behaving like hooligans…calling us ‘lesbians’ and describing sexual positions.”
She said the group then requested that the two women kiss in front of them so they could watch.
Chris and Melania repeatedly refused, first with the Uruguay-born Melania insisting her English wasn’t very good and then then telling the men that Chris wasn’t feeling well.
It was at his point that the thugs began throwing coins at the couple before the situation escalated into violence.
“The next thing I remember was Chris in the middle of them and they were beating her,” Melania said. “I didn’t think about it and went in. I was pulling her back and trying to defend her so they started beating me up.”
The attack left both women bruised and bloodied.
Following the beating, the men stole a phone and a bag from the couple and then left the bus.
Both Chris and Melania were taken to the hospital with facial injuries.
Speaking about the incident, London Detective Superintendent Andy Cox said, “This was a disgusting attack on two women who appear to have been picked out and targeted by a group of youths.”
“Lots of people will understandably be outraged by this attack.”
DS Cox said police are reviewing CCTV footage from the attack and are asking for any information from the public.
“Our efforts to trace all the suspects involved and bring them in for questioning will be relentless.”
On Friday, four male teenagers were arrested in connection to the attack.
The arrests were made on suspicion of robbery and aggravated grievous bodily harm. As of right now, the suspects have been taken to separate London police stations to be questioned.
DS Cox has said that the city is taking necessary precautions to prevent further attacks of this nature.
“I would like to reassure those heading out over the weekend that extra uniformed and plain clothes Safer Transport officers will be out on patrol working to keep them safe and prevent crime.”
In her Facebook post about the incident, Melania said that she is most upset about how common this type of violence is.
“What upsets me the most is that violence has become a common thing, that sometimes it’s necessary to see a woman bleeding after having been punched to feel some kind of impact.”
She also said that standing up for yourself sometimes unfortunately comes at a price.
“We have to endure verbal harassment and chauvinist, misogynistic and homophobic violence because when you stand up for yourself [expletive] like this happens.”
When asked whether the attack has had an effect on the couple’s willingness to show affection in public, Chris said no.
“I am not scared about being visibly queer,” she told BBC . “If anything, you should do it more.”
However, she admitted the terrifying attack has left her upset.
“I was and am still angry. It was scary, but this is not a novel situation.”
A fundraiser has been established for the couple to help them “get back on their feet”. It has currently raised £2,109 of its £10,000 target.
h/t: Metro
