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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Benita Kolovos Victorian state correspondent

Gay students extorted with threat of being ‘outed’ in home countries, Victorian hate crime inquiry hears

Victoria Equality Australia Police
Two men on phones
Some international students who are being threatened with extortion after being lured into meetings via gay dating apps in Victoria say they are scared of their sexuality being shared with family members overseas . Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

International students from countries where homosexuality is illegal are being lured into meetings via gay dating apps before being assaulted and extorted with threats of being outed, a Victorian inquiry into hate crimes has heard.

Since June 2024, police identified 95 attacks targeting gay and bisexual men across Victoria, resulting in 42 arrests, Thorne Harbour Health’s chief executive, Chad Hughes, told the inquiry on Wednesday.

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