Three homophobic attacks took place in the past ten days
Accept LGBTI Cyprus highlighted the resilience of the queer community on Wednesday as it reports three homophobic attacks took place in the past ten days.
The non-profit organisation warned that the rise in hate crimes stem from the surge in hate speech and impunity.
The recent attack against a member of the LGBTQIA+ community occurred on Sunday night in Nicosia, when unidentified individuals verbally assaulted the individual and threw fireworks at them.
The victim has filed a complaint to the police, Accept secretary Stephanos Evangelides told AlphaNews.
Evangelides emphasised the importance of not ignoring such attacks, regardless of one’s LGBTQI+ status, highlighting that the victim recorded a video of the perpetrators fleeing the scene and immediately contacted law enforcement.
Upon the arrival of a police patrol car, the victim was escorted to a safe location and then safely transported home.
The video shows the licence plate number of the vehicle of the two perpetrators.
Expressing concern over such attacks towards LGBTQIA+ identities, the NGO representative noted that while such behaviour may stem from a small segment of society, it is nonetheless troubling.
“Human rights are not a personal opinion,” he stressed. Specific people “have become more intense in their expression because there are no punishments, and we may end up mourning victims or, as in Greece, experiencing mass attacks because someone cannot accept the otherness of someone else.”
Accept expressed solidarity with the individuals who fell victim of such behaviours, highlighting that
Referring to the details of the recent attack, the organisation said that two individuals wearing black hoods began verbally harassing a homosexual individual who was walking alone at night, then proceeded to throw dangerous fireworks at them.
The victim captured footage of the assailants fleeing the scene, then promptly contacted the police to report the incident. However, while still communicating with law enforcement, a car arrived, from which emerged four individuals displaying aggressive behaviour, two of whom were identified as the same perpetrators from the earlier attack. Advised by the police, the victim sought refuge in a nearby bar for safety, prompting the assailants to depart. Then, officers arrived at the scene and escorted the victim safely back home.
Accept commended the member of the LGBTQIA+ community for their quick actions and exposing the cowardice of the assailants.