Four British teenagers have been charged with committing an aggravated hate crime following the assault of a same-sex couple on a London bus back in May.
Metropolitan Police on Thursday announced the charges against the boys, who are only described as between the ages of 15 and 17.
Melania Geymonat, 28, was on a date with a woman named Chris on the night of May 30 when she said she and her date were pummeled by a group of men for refusing to kiss. Geymonat posted a photo of herself and her date on Facebook shortly after, showing them covered in blood.
“They started behaving like hooligans, demanding that we kissed so they could enjoy watching, calling us ‘lesbians’ and describing sexual positions,” she wrote.
“I don’t remember the whole episode, but the word ‘scissors’ stuck in my mind. It was only them and us there. In an attempt to calm things down, I started making jokes. I thought this might make them go away,” she continued.
A fight broke out instead, leaving the couple dazed and visibly wounded.
“The next thing I know is I’m being punched. I got dizzy at the sight of my blood and fell back. I don’t remember whether or not I lost consciousness. Suddenly the bus had stopped, the police were there and I was bleeding all over. Our stuff was stolen as well,” she said.
Geymonat, who works as a Ryanair stewardess, was later treated at a hospital for facial injuries.
In addition to the hate crime charge, the teens individually face charges that include theft, handling stolen goods and cannabis possession. They are scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 21.
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