09/04/2008
Gay Man Stabbed Seven Times by Gang in East London
A gay man is in critical condition a week after being stabbed seven times by a gang of youths in east London. Police are treating it as a homophobic crime:
"Detectives are treating the street attack as attempted murder. The 20-year-old, known as Olly, was stabbed seven times behind Shoreditch Church on his way to a ‘gay friendly’ pub. Both Bethnal Green & Bow MP George Galloway and the leader of his Respect group on Tower Hamlets council have appealed for calm following last Thursday’s stabbing...Olly had been walking with a woman companion to the George & Dragon pub in Hackney-road, where many of the gay community meet, when he was attacked in nearby Boundary-street on the corner of Austin-street, around 11pm last Thursday (August 28). He was hounded by a group of five youths, then hit over the head with a glass bottle before being stabbed seven times in the back and torso. He had life-saving surgery at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel the next morning, but still remains in a critical condition one week on. The stabbing is also being linked to an assault in the same area 24 hours before when a couple were kicked and punched by youths."
Said Detective Inspector Howard Way: "We are investigating this attack as attempted murder. What we’re concentrating on is tracking down and bringing to justice the people who committed this evil crime."
Added MP George Galloway: "This is a sickening and vile assault. A near fatal knife attack on a defenceless man is horrific enough. The fact that this also appears to be a homophobic hate crime compounds the evil."
Gay fears rise after street gang’s murderous attack [east london advertiser]
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 11:35 AM EST by Andy in Crime, Gay Slurs, Great Britain, London, News | Permalink
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So, anyone want to bet that the BBC, once again, will entirely ignore this? Some rich twat burns his house down and it's reported every night for about two weeks. A series of homophobic attacks, including an attempted murder - British media don't care.
Posted by: Bek | Sep 4, 2008 12:30:58 PM
That depends on who is committing those attacks. If it's a certain religious group than no you will not hear about it.
Hopefully they find them and hang em
Posted by: OUSSLANDER | Sep 4, 2008 12:57:23 PM
Geez, what is up with these violent, homophobic Europeans? Maybe we should boycott England like some want to boycott Jamaica.
All snark aside, I hope they toss the book, chair, and kitchen sink at these creeps.
Posted by: noah | Sep 4, 2008 1:03:26 PM
Why boycott the UK? At least their police do something about homophobic attacks. Jamaica doesn't consider homophobia a crime - they consider it a virtue.
Posted by: DD | Sep 4, 2008 2:13:19 PM
True you can't compare liberal Engalnd with the Jamaican cesspool of homophobia and violence where its an entranched part of a very uneducated society.
Posted by: Chad | Sep 4, 2008 11:47:31 PM
True you can't compare liberal Engalnd with the Jamaican cesspool of homophobia and violence where its an entranched part of a very uneducated society.
Posted by: Chad | Sep 4, 2008 11:49:53 PM
I was at the pub the night before when the other couple was attacked. I never heard of this second and more serious attack until now. For the most part East London is a very safe place and I have many times walked from this pub home at all hours of the night. It is very sad and honestly a little scary to think that this can happen without provocation and especially in such a trendy gay friendly place.
Posted by: Matt | Sep 5, 2008 6:57:07 AM
What the fuck is going on in the world.
Posted by: Dawnell_do | Sep 5, 2008 10:06:46 AM
Yes, I agree with Matt, in so far as East London is mostly a safe place, and it has a long history of being a place that gays hang out to come to.
Some of the more local press reports have hinted at the fact that the alleged attackers were part of a religious / ethnic bonded gang so obviously there is a degree of sensitivity involved in the reporting. But this ethnic/religious group has co-existed with the gay community in East London for a long time and i can understand the desire not to inflame tensions. The attackers must be brought to justice (whether that be official or otherwise) but it is important that innocents are not demonised.
I too live in the area, over by Brick Lane, and I walk back through that Arnold Circus estate behind the George at all times of the day and night. Although I am more likely to be found a little further up the road at The Joiner's Arms than I am at The George - the Joiners has a rougher, more "working class" / down to earth crowd (part of the sexy East End tradition of real rough-and-ready seemingly dodgy/straight gays).
I can't help feeling that if the attack had taken place next to the Joiners rather than The George, the reporting would possibly have included the horrible beatings of the alleged attackers also. I think if I had to choose the punters of either the George or the Joiners to look after me in a fight, I would choose the Joiners - a lot of the crowd look like they could be handy in a fight, lol (you want to see the beaten up face of the tranny who managed the Joiners, and she gives as good as she gets!!)
Posted by: CRAIGO in LONDON | Sep 6, 2008 6:23:39 AM