17th July 2019
For immediate release.
Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus is sad to announce that one of their members* has been the victim of a horrific homophobic attack in Hove. BrightonGMC condemns this unprovoked assault and asks that any witnesses to the crime respond to the Sussex Police’s appeal for witnesses to come forward.
Vaughan Leyshon, Chairman of Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus, said:
Homophobic hate crime is pernicious and often has a significant physical and mental impact on victims. It also affects the whole LGBTQ and wider community, creating a sense of anxiety, fear and division. The Chorus is helping support our member who was attacked and I hope that by raising awareness of the attack we will prompt witnesses to contact the police.
A recent Guardian analysis has shown the rate of LGBTQ hate crime per capita rose by 144% between 2013-14 and 2017-18. In the most recent year of data, police recorded 11,600 crimes, more than doubling from 4,600 during this period.
Sussex Police Constable Adam Parris said:
The victim was shaken and scared by the attack. We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the assault or recognises the description of the suspect. Please get in touch if you can help with our investigation.
Anyone with information should report online or ring 101 quoting serial 1018 of 29/06.
*The victim is recovering well but wants to stay anonymous while the criminal investigation is underway.
ENDS
Photographs for publication:
To download, click on image to view and then right-click to save.
