This week, a 20-year-old man from Cleveland, England was approached by a group of men who asked about his sexuality, abruptly sprayed him with an aerosol can, and set him on fire.
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The incident occurred while he was wandering the grounds of a church, and the resultant attack led to the victim receiving skin grafts in order to repair the burnt flesh on his calves.
In the early morning, while he was walking past Stockton’s Holt Trinity Church on Yarm Lane, four thugs stopped him and began inquiring about his sexuality orientation.
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“He ignored them and continued onto Parliament Street,” said a Cleveland Police spokeswoman, talking to the Hartlepool Mail. “One of the men then approached him from behind and sprayed an aerosol can at the victims legs which he then set alight, causing burns to the victim’s calves.”
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That man is described as in his early 20s, with short blonde hair and medium build. Metro reports “he was bare chested at the time of the assault and wearing jogging bottoms.”
According to the spokeswoman, “Officers are treating this as a homophobic hate crime and are asking anyone with information to come forward and call police on 101.”
Brian
It’s very dangerous in parts of England.
Ganymede
The geography of this article is incorrect and baffling; Cleveland no longer exists as a county and even if it did it would be strange to say someone is from Cleveland when Stockton is more widely known anyway.
But more importantly I hope the man makes a speedy recovery.
mlbumiller
@Ganymede:
a horrible thing it doesn’t matter about geography.
I will also say this coming from a small town in Wisconsin in the United States there’s been a part of town known as Barton which was its own Community until 1946. to this day you can tell a true local when they refer to that area of town as Barton anything else Shirley makes you an out-of-towner
Tobi
@Brian: It’s a lot safer than the USA.
Ari Gold
I will truly never understand why straight people hate the idea of homosexuality so much?
Sluggo2007
@Ari Gold: Not all straight people; only the latently homosexual ones.