Two homosexuals assaulted in Amsterdam 02/07/2007 00:00

2 July 2007

AMSTERDAM – A group of six men assaulted two gay men on the Reguliersdwarsstraat in Amsterdam city centre last Thursday night.
 
The victims are aged 37 and 45 and were most likely attacked because of their sexual orientation, Amsterdam police said on Monday. The six men were arrested after the attack for public violence.

The 37-year-old and a friend had visited a nightclub in the centre of Amsterdam. They were attacked by a group of men as they were crossing the Rembrandtplein via the Regulierdwarsstraat towards the Vijzelstraat.

The men shouted insulting statements about homosexuals, threatened the two and spit in the face of one of them. As the victims approached the Vijzelstraat both were punched in the face. A witness says the group also threatened the two gay men, chanting "I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill you."

The group then headed towards the Herengracht. Witnesses had called police and the six were arrested. The suspects are all between the ages of 15 and 19. Four are of Moroccan descent, one is Surinamese and one is Turkish.

The police are looking for witnesses of the abuse. The group of young men is also suspected of involvement in other similar incidents. The police are asking that any victims come forward so that this kind of violence can be addressed.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2007]

Subject: Dutch news