‘Sickening’ attacks rock Aussie city

Four teenagers person been charged implicit a bid of alleged “sickening” homophobic attacks successful Perth, with constabulary alleging the antheral victims were lured done a dating app earlier they were assaulted.

WA Police said the alleged victims thought they were speaking to morganatic radical and agreed to conscionable the idiosyncratic they connected with connected Grindr, but erstwhile they arrived they were surrounded by a radical of males and assaulted portion being subjected to homophobic slurs.

A WA Police spokesperson said victims had their car damaged arsenic they attempted to fly the concern and immoderate of the assaults were filmed and posted connected societal media.

One of the victims was a antheral aged successful his 30s who arrived astatine South Lake, successful Perth’s southbound astir 1am connected Wednesday wherever helium was allegedly approached by a radical of males who began verbally abusing him.

He went backmost to his conveyance and locked the doors, but the radical allegedly surrounded his car and damaged the footwear and broadside sheet successful an effort to bargain it.

A constabulary spokesperson said rocks were allegedly thrown astatine the car arsenic the unfortunate drove away.

A abbreviated clip aboriginal different antheral successful his 30s arrived astatine the aforesaid determination aft agreeing to conscionable a idiosyncratic helium met connected a dating app.

Police allege erstwhile helium arrived helium was surrounded by a radical of males who physically and verbally assaulted him earlier stealing his overgarment and car keys.

The radical of attackers fled the country successful the victim’s car.

The antheral suffered a ample laceration to his elbow and bruising to his backmost and ribs.

About 4.40pm, constabulary arrested 2 teenage boys aged 15 and 16-years astatine a location successful South Lake.

They appeared successful the Perth Children’s Court connected Thursday.

Another 2 boys, aged 16 and 17, from Hamilton Hill person besides been arrested.

The boys were charged with aggravated equipped robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, transgression harm and stealing a centrifugal vehicle.

Premier Roger Cook told reporters it was an “insidious crime” and a horrible mode for idiosyncratic to perpetrate a unit successful Western Australia.

WA Police detective inspector Matt Froude urged radical successful the LGBQTI+ communities to workout caution erstwhile arranging meetings done online dating websites and applications.

“We cognize this has been a distressing concern for the victims involved,” helium said.

“We instrumentality this behaviour highly earnestly and determination is nary spot for this benignant of targeted unit successful our community.

“Anyone who has been engaging successful this benignant of behaviour should beryllium expecting WA Police officers to travel done their door.

“While incidents of this quality are rare, we dainty them with the utmost seriousness and we promote victims to travel guardant truthful we tin investigate.”

Read related topics:Perth