Recent arrests have been made in Western Australia concerning a series of alleged homophobic attacks involving men who were reportedly targeted through a dating app. Authorities revealed that the incidents began when a man in his 30s arranged a meeting with the suspects via the app at around 1 a.m. yesterday.
Upon arriving at Stillwater Gardens in South Lake, he encountered a group that verbally abused him. Fleeing to his car and locking himself inside, he was surrounded by the group, who then inflicted damage on the vehicle and attempted to steal it. Rocks were thrown at the car as the man drove away, causing serious damage to the windshield.
Shortly thereafter, another man in his 30s was also targeted at the same location. After arranging a meet-up through the app, he was allegedly assaulted both physically and verbally by the group, who stole his jacket and car keys before fleeing in his vehicle. The victim sustained a large cut on his elbow and bruising on his back and ribs.
A search warrant executed in South Lake around 4:40 p.m. led to the arrest of two boys, aged 15 and 16. They face charges including aggravated armed robbery and attempted aggravated robbery.
Police reports indicate that homophobic slurs were used during the assaults. Detective Inspector Matt Froude stressed the seriousness with which such incidents are treated and encouraged victims to come forward to aid in investigations.
Froude also advised those meeting individuals from dating apps to choose well-lit, populated areas and to keep friends or family informed about their plans.
He pointed out that many apps have built-in safety features, such as live location sharing, to enhance security during meet-ups. The teenagers are set to appear before Perth Children’s Court today.
