Homophobic attack on two women on London bus.

[stockhausen]

Two women left needing hospital treatment after they were attacked on a bus in a homophobic assault have blamed a rise in rightwing populism for growing hate crime and called on people to stand up for each other.

A Metropolitan police statement said: “Four males aged between 15 to 18 have been arrested on Friday 7 June on suspicion of robbery and aggravated GBH. They have been taken to separate London police stations for questioning.”

The attack – in which a phone and a bag were stolen – happened in the early hours of 30 May. A photograph of the couple’s bloodied faces went viral on Friday. (LINK)

You have to wonder what is or was going through the minds of these vicious teenaged attackers; I thought this sort of behaviour was a thing of the past.

Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Sadiq Khan, Penny Mordaunt and Tulip Siddiq have all expressed disgust at this unprovoked attack, I wonder when other MPs will find the time to speak out for tolerance?

 

[Caracus2k]

Maybe stockhausen's never been on a bus in London?

This attack caught the news attention because it trended on twitter and because of the LGBT angle during the pride month but similiar attacks, for a wide range of reasons, are not that uncommon on public transport.

In Camden alone (where the ladies are reported to have been attacked) there was 136 reports of violence against the person between April and December of 2018 and 18 reports of sexual assault

I don't particularly think we need every politician and their dog to come out and 'express there disgust' at this one particular incident.

Unfortunately we live in an age where posting a twiiter comment or changing your picture to a flag on your Facebook profile is seen as doing something meaningful about a problem.

I'm aware of the potential irony of posting on a public forum here but at leat sometimes various issues are discussed and debated here and I don't think many people think they are changing the world by posting here.

 

[Zethor]

Maybe stockhausen's never been on a bus in London?

This attack caught the news attention because it trended on twitter and because of the LGBT angle during the pride month but similiar attacks, for a wide range of reasons, are not that uncommon on public transport.

In Camden alone (where the ladies are reported to have been attacked) there was 136 reports of violence against the person between April and December of 2018 and 18 reports of sexual assault

I don't particularly think we need every politician and their dog to come out and 'express there disgust' at this one particular incident.

Unfortunately we live in an age where posting a twiiter comment or changing your picture to a flag on your Facebook profile is seen as doing something meaningful about a problem.

I'm aware of the potential irony of posting on a public forum here but at leat sometimes various issues are discussed and debated here and I don't think many people think they are changing the world by posting here.

Are you unable to comprehend the difference between a hate attack and random violence?

 

[dowie]

Obviously a disgraceful attack.

I do find it odd these days how either the police or the media appeal for help in identifying the attackers, appeal for witnesses while simultaneously not really releasing much information about the attackers - like a basic description of what they look like or the CCTV from the Bus they were on, what time and what area on the route etc... the only things we've learned so far is one spoke Spanish the others had British accents and the four arrested are all teenagers.

 

[Nitefly]

Don’t really see what other MPs have to do with it

 

[robfosters]

Are you unable to comprehend the difference between a hate attack and random violence?

There is no difference. Both are equally reprehensible. Random violence isn’t any less serious because it isn’t targeting someone for ethnicity, sexuality, etc. It’s all terrible.

 

[Caracus2k]

Are you unable to comprehend the difference between a hate attack and random violence?

This would hardly be the only 'hate' attack on a London bus either with the vast majority of the rest getting little press coverage.

The number of homophobic offences for every year in the past 10 calendar years
Calendar Year Number of Attacks
2007 1037
2008 1037
2009 1359
2010 1311
2011 1276
2012 1137
2013 1104
2014 1488
2015 1782
2016 2011
2017 (upto 30th November) 1956

Grand Total 15498

Do you think politicians should act based in what's currently trending on twitter or not?

 

[dowie]

BBC article contains more information:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-48555889

Police are appealing for witnesses for the attack which happened at about 02:30 BST on a N31 bus in West Hampstead.

Still no description of the attackers - what they look like, what they were wearing etc..etc.. Bus company has CCTV, but not released... Presumably at least one attacker (the Spanish speaking one) is a white male, and pale or mediterranean looking.

 

[ninezerofive]

Sad thing, cute girls.

 

[Caracus2k]

Still no description of the attackers - what they look like, what they were wearing etc..etc.. Bus company has CCTV, but not released... Presumably at least one attacker (the Spanish speaking one) is a white male, and pale or mediterranean looking.

Maybe the police haven't released descriptions because they don't need to as they have already arrested people

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-48555889

 

[Zethor]

There is no difference. Both are equally reprehensible. Random violence isn’t any less serious because it isn’t targeting someone for ethnicity, sexuality, etc. It’s all terrible.

Yes there is, feel free to educate on the difference between hate crime and other criminal acts, although I do have a nagging feeling that you won't bother.

This would hardly be the only 'hate' attack on a London bus either with the vast majority of the rest getting little press coverage.




Do you think politicians should act based in what's currently trending on twitter or not?

Politicians should definitely act based on newsworthy topics, yes. It's part of the job.

 

[dowie]

Maybe the police haven't released descriptions because they don't need to as they have already arrested people

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-48555889

I'm aware they have arrested people, you've literally posted a link to the same article I linked to in my post which contains a quote from the police appealing for witnesses.

That they've arrested people doesn't mean they don't necessarily want witnesses who may have either seen the attack or seen the attackers fleeing. Nor does it mean they've necessarily got all of the attackers. They also put out an appeal for witnesses before they had made theses arrests and the same criticism applies there.

 

[Caracus2k]

Politicians should definitely act based on newsworthy topics, yes. It's part of the job.

Posting a vacuous condemnation of something they would not be expected to condone isn't 'acting' in any meaningful sense especially when it's in response to rather fickle prompts like twitter.

 

[robfosters]

Yes there is, feel free to educate on the difference between hate crime and other criminal acts, although I do have a nagging feeling that you won't bother.



Politicians should definitely act based on newsworthy topics, yes. It's part of the job.

Why don’t you educate me? Why is assaulting someone because of their sexuality worse than assaulting someone because, for example, the attackers were jealous and fancied your girlfriend, which incidentally, happened to a close friend of mine, many years ago.

 

[Caracus2k]

I'm aware they have arrested people, you've literally posted a link to the same article I linked to in my post which contains a quote from the police appealing for witnesses.

That they've arrested people doesn't mean they don't necessarily want witnesses who may have either seen the attack or seen the attackers fleeing. Nor does it mean they've necessarily got all of the attackers. They also put out an appeal for witnesses before they had made theses arrests and the same criticism applies there.

I'm not sure how posting descriptions of suspects would be needed to jog peoples memory of an attack on public transport widely publicised with pictures of the two women attacked.

If they have suspects arrested then releasing descriptions can actually be counter productive to investigating the matter and conducting any potential ID parades

 

[Dis86]

Obviously a disgraceful attack.

I do find it odd these days how either the police or the media appeal for help in identifying the attackers, appeal for witnesses while simultaneously not really releasing much information about the attackers - like a basic description of what they look like or the CCTV from the Bus they were on, what time and what area on the route etc... the only things we've learned so far is one spoke Spanish the others had British accents and the four arrested are all teenagers.

I read the original story at lunchtime and you should have seen the torrent that was directed at the Met about this. They're appealing for info and witnesses yet didn't describe the attackers. Why?!

Unless of course their description didn't fit some sort of narrative...

 

[dowie]

I'm not sure how posting descriptions of suspects would be needed to jog peoples memory of an attack on public transport widely publicised with pictures of the two women attacked.

Because it isn't just people who witnessed the attack itself who might be able to provide useful information but also people who might have seen a group matching the description in X location at Y time running down the road in the immediate aftermath etc.. etc.. or indeed involved in any other incident earlier or later in that night.

If they have suspects arrested then releasing descriptions can actually be counter productive to investigating the matter and conducting any potential ID parades

*Some* suspects arrested, we don't know that they've got all and again the point also relates to the lack of information/description *prior* to the arrests being made.

 

[Caracus2k]

I read the original story at lunchtime and you should have seen the torrent that was directed at the Met about this. They're appealing for info and witnesses yet didn't describe the attackers. Why?!

Unless of course their description didn't fit some sort of narrative...

Because if they believe they already have all suspects either arrested or at least identified then releasing an description may well be counter productive.

Police can only release details like descriptions when there is a legitimate policing reason (I. E to help identify a currently unknown suspect)

This is why police press releases often just state x women/ men have been arrested rather than giving a description of them.

 

[Dis86]

Because if they beleive they already have all suspects either arrested or at least identified then releasing an description may well be counter productive.

Police can only release details like descriptions when there is a legitimate policing reason (I. E to help identify a currently unknown suspect)

This is why police press releases often just state x women/ men have been arrested rather than giving a description of them.

Except earlier they were appealing for help to find them.

 

[dowie]

Because if they beleive they already have all suspects either arrested or at least identified then releasing an description may well be counter productive.

Police can only release details like descriptions when there is a legitimate policing reason (I. E to help identify a currently unknown suspect)

This is why police press releases often just state x women/ men have been arrested rather than giving a description of them.

I think you need to re-read his post - he's referring to the original story at lunchtime and again in regards to them appealing for witnesses...