UK police arrest 5th suspect in attack on lesbian couple

A photo posted on Facebook by Melania Geymonat

London: Police in London have arrested a fifth suspect on suspicion of punching two women on a bus because they were lesbians.

Authorities didn't identify the victims in the May 30 attack. But Melania Geymonat posted an image on her Facebook page showing her bloodied face along with that of her girlfriend's.

Geymonat, 28, said she and her girlfriend Chris were left covered in blood after the attack last week. "They started behaving like hooligans, demanding that we kiss so they could enjoy watching, calling us 'lesbians' and describing sexual positions," she wrote on Facebook.

"It was only them and us there. They kept on harassing us, throwing us coins and becoming more enthusiastic about it. The next thing I know is that Chris is in the middle of the bus fighting with them. On an impulse, I went over there only to find her face bleeding and three of them beating her up. The next thing I know is I'm being punched."

The women were punched several times before the men ran off. Police said the incident happened at around 2.30 am on May 30.

Police said all suspects are between 15 and 18 years old. Detective Superintendent Andy Cox says that while attacks like this are rare on London buses, extra uniformed and plain clothes officers will be out on patrol to offer reassurance.

Homophobia on the rise in London
Over the five years to 2018, reported homophobic hate crimes across London have increased from 1,488 in 2014 to 2,308 in 2018, according to the Met Police's crime dashboard.

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