The Golden Jubilee Bridge near Embankment
(Picture: Google Maps)A horrific homophobic attack has seen a man kicked in the head by a gang who tried to strip him and throw him in the Thames.
The man has detailed the brutal attack, which saw him and a friend beaten in the early hours of Wednesday, as they returned home from Soho’s G-A-Y nightclub.
It is understood the incident happened as they crossed the Golden Jubilee Bridge near Embankment and London’s South Bank.
In a series of posts on social media, the man shared photos showing a deep gash to his head and grazes on his face and neck.
“I had three people stamping in my head and one assaulting my friend with one white woman standing as a look out,” he wrote.
“They stole everything we had.
“Worst part is they threw my jacket, shoes, and tried to strip me then throw me in the river thinking I was dead just as I was about to pass out.”
Following the attack, he was reportedly taken to hospital where he stayed overnight, with “multiple cuts, bruises and an open head injury”.
He described the attack as “homophobic”, urging: “Please be careful when going around central London, especially if you’re LGBTQ.”
The incident has sparked calls for stronger police presence on the South Bank, which has been the site of a number of homophobic attacks in recent years.
Matthew Smith, a politics student at Birkbeck, University of London, wrote on Twitter: “I’ve spoken to plenty of people who have been mugged on the Southbank including people who work there.
“These attacks aren’t going away and need to be dealt with one way or another, people need to feel safe walking home.”
Waterloo and South Bank councillor Sarina Da Silva described the assaults as “very worrying”, adding: “We are working with the Met and South Bank security to have a bigger police and security warden presence.”
In 2016, a gay couple were subjected to a tirade of abuse after a drunken man spotted them holding hands in the early hours.
On New Year’s Day 2019, four hooded thugs physically attacked two men holding hands near the National Theatre.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “We are aware of distressing photographs being circulated on social media showing the injuries to a young man, who was one of two victims of an assault in the Southbank Area.
“During the early hours of August 17, police were called to a report of a group assaulting two young people. Officers arrived on the scene within four minutes of being called. They chased a number of suspects from the scene, arrested two, and recovered some of the victims’ property. Officers provided the two victims with first aid, took them to hospital for treatment, and returned them home.
“It was identified that this was a homophobic hate crime from the outset. Officers obtained accounts from the victims and others, and reviewed CCTV. Two young people were charged that day, and remanded into custody. On the morning of August 18, they both pleaded guilty to robbery and have been bailed, with conditions, to appear for sentencing on September 21 at Highbury Magistrates Court.”
If you have any information relating to the incident, contact the Met quoting refernece 996/17AUG22.
