WA Police Arrest Two More Teenage Boys Over ‘Sickening’ Homophobic Attacks
Image: Police tape
Western Australia Police have arrested two more teenage boys in connection with the string of “sickening” homophobic attacks in Perth, WA that occurred the early hours of Wednesday 18 September.
This morning’s arrests follows the arrests of two other boys yesterday, who are aged 15 and 16.
9 News Perth reports that the two boys that have been arrested for the alleged attacks are 16 and 17 years old, both from Hamilton Hill.
All four arrests are in connection with a series of alleged homophobic aggravated assaults and robberies of gay men, who were allegedly lured to a location via a dating app.
9 News also reports that that WA Police are currently searching for a fifth person who was involved.
Teens armed with pepper spray, crowbars & a machete during attacks
The group of teenage boys are alleged to have lured gay men to a meeting spot in Stillwater Gardens in South Lake via a dating app.
The attacks occurred as separate incidents, one after the other in the same location.
The group are alleged to have physically and verbally assaulted the victims; attempted to steal the first man’s car (damaging it and throwing rocks in the process) and successfully stealing the second victim’s car, jacket and phone.
They’re alleged to have hurled homophobic slurs during the assaults, as well as filmed and posted the attacks to social media.
WA Today reports that when the first two teens appeared in Perth Children’s Court, the court heard that the boys were armed with pepper spray, crow bars and a machete during the attacks.
WA Premier says alleged homophobic attacks are “sickening”
Western Australia’s Premier Roger Cook has spoken out about the attacks, calling the crimes “insidious” and “sickening”.
“What an insidious crime, what a horrible way for someone to perpetrate a crime in Western Australian, a violent crime,” Cook said. “Not only to undertake that activity, but to conspire to undertake that activity.”
The premier said he hoped the perpetrators would be brought to justice, saying, “I hope the book is thrown at those people”.
“These are sickening acts… We want WA to be a peaceful, inclusive and safe space for everyone to live and there’s no room for that sort of activity.”
