Alert: Organised and targeted violence in Maribyrnong (updated)
// October 13th, 2009 // Incidents, Within Victoria
Update: following the posting of this report and the Gay and Lesbian Liaison police then discussing this matter on-air Thursday 15 October 2009, a caller provided information to police about the alleged perpetrators of these assaults. Armed with this information, Police are now further investigating these matters. PLEASE CONTINUE TO BE AWARE and report any information to “000” or via the AVP’s online violence reporting service (click here)
Males in the Maribyrnong area are requested to be on alert for three man acting together who have targeted individuals on-foot and individuals in motor vehicles for five months. Victims are people that these perpetrators perceive to be gay, regardless of their actual sexual orientation. The outcome is violence against the person and damage to property.
Three reports of violence in the Maribyrnong area have now been received by the AVP in addition to information about a further three and definately more incidents – and all are linked.
The violence involves the throwing of eggs at people and vehicles, in and around a local park by what appears to be the same group of men. Language used by the perpetrators is anti-gay and possibly on occassions, racially motivated.
The AVP are investigating a possible connection between these incidents and recent local newspaper publicity which has:
(1) identified the location where men socially meet each other, and flagged to the perpetrators when to find gay men to act out against them, and
(2) relayed to the perpetrators that they may escape consequences of their violent actions towards others.
The AVP has requested the Victoria Police Gay & Lesbian Reference Group address these reports urgently at their next meeting.
