Four teenagers have been arrested in connection with an attack on two women on a London bus this week, after allegedly setting upon the couple when they refused to kiss.
In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, Melania Geymonat said that she and her girlfriend were taking a night bus to Camden when the group began harassing them.
The London resident said that the teens followed them and “started behaving like hooligans”, demanding that they kiss and”describing sexual positions.”
She wrote:
“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. Chris even pretended she was sick, but they kept on harassing us, throwing us coins and becoming more enthusiastic about it. The next thing I know is that Chris is in the middle of the bus fighting with them. On an impulse, I went over there only to find her face bleeding and three of them beating her up. 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.”
Her account continued:
“Our stuff was stolen as well. I don’t know yet if my nose is broken, and I haven’t been able to go back to work, but what upsets me the most is that VIOLENCE HAS BECOME A COMMON THING, that sometimes it’s necessary to see a woman bleeding after having been punched to feel some kind of impact. I’m tired of being taken as a SEXUAL OBJECT, of finding out that these situations are usual, of gay friends who were beaten up JUST BECAUSE. We have to endure verbal harassment AND CHAUVINIST, MISOGYNISTIC AND HOMOPHOBIC VIOLENCE because when you stand up for yourself shit like this happens. By the way, I am thankful to all the women and men in my life that understand that HAVING BALLS MEANS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I just hope that in June, Pride Month, stuff like this can be spoken out loudly so they STOP HAPPENING!”
Police in London say that they have arrested four men between the ages of 15 and 18 on suspicion of robbery and causing grievous bodily harm.
“Lots of people will understandably be outraged by this attack,” officers said in a statement. “Our efforts to trace all the suspects involved and bring them in for questioning will be relentless.”
London mayor Sadiq Khan has condemned the incident as a “disgusting, misogynistic attack”, saying that hate crimes of its type will not be tolerated in the city.
