Gay Straight Alliance in Serbia: Two worrying attacks on LGBT people in Belgrade
ILGA-Europe recieved this sad news from Gay Straight Alliance in Serbia concerning two incidents of violence on LGBT people in Belgrade.
By Gay Straight Alliance in Serbia.
The first incident occured on Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 2 AM, when the tear gas was fired inside the gay club "Hrabro Srce" premises in Belgrade. The club had to close down for the night and more than 200 people were evacuated from the premises.
The second incident occured in the night between August 6-7, 2009. The group of aproximately 10 FC Crvena Zvezda supporters attacked a 30yo N.A. who happened to be a lesbian. The incident took place on a night bus, route 56, in Belgrade. One of the attackers was identifyed as S.T., age 20, from Belgrade, and others, among which were two women, are currently listed as unknown perpetrators of the criminal offence.
N.A., on her way home with her partner took a bus-ride, was initially verbally attacked with insults such as "Lesbian groups", "Dike whores", "Kill a fag" and similar. When she reacted against this kind of behavior, the group attacked her. They were kicking her in the stomack, head and her backside. The beating continued even after she passed out while the bus was on its regular route. The driver, or anyone else on the bus in that moment, did not do anything to stop this brutal act of violence. The attack was initiated at a Serbian National Assembly bus stop and was ended at Ada Ciganlija bus stop when two members of the police department Čukarica boarded the bus.
The very concerning fact would be the reaction of the Serbian police department in both of these instances. According to the testimonies of the people who were guests of the Hrabro Srce gay club that night, the police department representatives were not acting in a professional manner, moreover, they were laughing at the terrified victims.
Furthermore, instead of arresting the attackers, the FC Crvena Zvezda supporters, the police decided to take in custody the attacked woman N.A. She was imprisoned for 12 hours under public disordelry conduct charge. After she was released, N.A. was able to seek medical attention at Klinicki Centar in Belgrade where the doctors have established and documented multiple injuries to the head, legs, stomack, as well as injuries to the thighs and a brain concussion.
