WA Police Arrest Two Teenage Boys Over String Of Homophobic Attacks
Two teenage boys have been arrested in Western Australia following a series of homophobic attacks on gay men, say WA Police.
The two minors, aged 15 and 16, allegedly lured gay men to meeting points using an unnamed dating app.
WA Police detectives from Fremantle confirmed today that they had arrested the 15 and 16-year old, who are from Hilton and South Lake, over two separate incidents that involved LGBTQIA+ men in their 30s.
“Upon arrival to the agreed upon location, they have been surrounded and assaulted by several males while being subjected to homophobic slurs,” reads the WA Police statement.
The two teenagers have been charged with aggravated armed robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, criminal damage or destruction of property and steal motor vehicle.
These incidents come in the wake of similar homophobic attacks, all allegedly orchestrated through LGBTQIA+ dating apps, in both Canberra in July and Melbourne in August.
WA Police urged LGBTQIA+ community to be cautious using dating apps
Police say it was alleged by several male victims that they have been speaking to someone who they believed to be legitimate users of the dating app – and agreed to meet up with them.
After reports of the attacks first occurred earlier in the week, police released a statement urging that the LGBTQIA+ community use extreme caution when using dating apps.
“We know this has been a distressing situation for the victims involved. This is why we’re working tirelessly to track down these offenders and hold them to account,” Detective Inspector Matt Froude said.
“We take this behaviour extremely seriously and there is no place for this kind of targeted violence in our community,” said Froude. “While incidents of this nature are rare, we treat them with the utmost seriousness and we encourage victims to come forward so we can investigate.”
“If you arrange to meet with someone over a dating app, meet in a public, well-lit place with plenty of people around,” Froude urged. “Let your family and friends know where you are going and who you are arranging to meet.
“Some of these apps have built-in safety features that allow you to share your live location with trusted contacts for added security during meet ups.”
The two homophobic attacks in Western Australia
The first attack
The first attack that the two teenage boys are alleged to have committed was at Stillwater Gardens in South Lake.
The male victim arrived at the location at around 1am on Wednesday, and was approached by a group of males who began to verbally abuse him.
Police say the man retreated to his car. The group is then alleged to have surrounded it, damaging the boot and side panel in an attempt to steal the car.
A police spokesperson said, “several rocks were thrown at the vehicle as the victim drove away, causing irreparable damage to the windscreen”.
The second attack
A similar incident occurred a short time later in the same location, say police.
After the first alleged victim had left, police say a second man in his 30s arrived at the same location – after a meeting had allegedly been arranged via the same dating app.
It is alleged that the second victim had his jacket, keys and car stolen. Police say the group of assailants then fled from the location in the stolen car.
Police allege the victims were subjected to homophobic slurs being shouted during the assaults and that some of the assaults were filmed and posted to social media.
Police conducted a search of a home in South Lake later in the day on Wednesday, which led to the arrest.
WA Police are requesting that if have believe you have been a victim, if you know someone who has been targeted, if you have information about these incidents, or if you have information about similar attacks – please contact Crime Stoppers (1800 333 000 or via crimestopperswa.com.au).
