Cambridge student hospitalised in suspected homophobic attack
Wolfson College, University of Cambridge. (Facebook/ Wolfson College)
A group of four students were victims of a suspected homophobic attack in Cambridge, which left one hospitalised.
The four young people, students at the University of Cambridge’s Wolfson College, were attacked in the early hours of Wednesday (23 February), according to university newspaper Varsity.
The attack took place in Market Square, Cambridge, after the group had attended the city’s only LGBT+ club night Glitterbomb.
According to the students, the incident began when a group of five men and one woman began hurling anti-LGBT+ comments at two of the students, one of whom is non-binary and one of whom is gay.
This then escalated to a physical assault, which one of the students described as a “targeted” attack.
After further transphobic comments, the students said more of the group joined in on the attack.
While all of the students sustained injuries, one 24-year-old woman had to be hospitalised for a concussion, fractured nose, partially deviated septum and bruising to her eyes.
Wolfson College told Varsity that the attack took place “without provocation”, and told other students to remain “alert”.
Cambridgeshire Police said that it was “investigating assaults on three men and two women which are alleged to have taken place… in Market Street and Market Passage” that night.
A Wolfson College spokesperson told PinkNews: “We were saddened to hear of this incident affecting four of our students. The College is offering the students full support as they recover from this distressing event.
“Because this attack may have been motivated by transphobia and homophobia, we want to reiterate our college commitment to stand against all forms of hatred and discrimination.
“These have no place in our community – or any other. We have written to the University Police Liaison Officer to urge a thorough investigation of this incident and informed our students, reminding them of the safety and support services available to them.
“We know that news of this attack may create increased anxiety within our LGBTQ+ community and have written to our students to reassure them of our support and provided links to local LGBTQ+ support services. Any student with concerns is encouraged, as always, to contact their tutor.”
At the end of last year, data revealed that the number of homophobic hate crime reports in the UK had tripled and the number of transphobic hate crime reports had quadrupled over the last six years.
Leni Morris, chief executive of LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop, told Vice at the time: “What we do know for sure, from the UK government’s own figures, is that 90 per cent of hate crimes against LGBT+ people go unreported, so these figures only represent a tiny part of the overall amount of abuse and violence faced by the LGBT+ community in the UK today.”
