A 21-year-old Christchurch man has spoken publicly about a suspected homophobic attack after he says he was lured to Woolston Park through a fake Grindr profile and assaulted by two men in April.
According to a report by 1News, the man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said he believed he had been communicating with another man on the dating platform before agreeing to meet at the park.
“I drove to the location and was there for about 10 minutes. I couldn't see the person that I was so far meant to be meeting. I ended up then heading back to my car, and there behind me was two hooded males who decided to come at me from behind,” 1News has quoted.
He said the men pushed him to the ground before punching and kicking him, while allegedly shouting homophobic slurs including “gay” and “faggot,” as quoted by 1News.
The victim managed to get back on his feet and ran towards Ferry Road, where a member of the public came to his assistance.
He was subsequently admitted to Christchurch Hospital for two days. The assault left him with concussion, a chipped tooth and a fractured leg. He later underwent rehabilitation and continues to receive counselling, 1News has reported.
“The long-lasting effect has been the effect on my mental health … there's so much that trauma can do, especially in an attack, but not just an attack; it was an attack based on someone’s sexuality,” he said, as quoted by 1News.
Rainbow Youth said it was deeply saddened by the incident and expressed its support for the victim and his whānau.
“Our hearts go out to the victim and their whānau”.
“Any act of violence against a member of our community has ripple effects to us all and incidents like this are a reminder of why the mahi we and others do in this space matters so deeply,” said the spokesperson, 1News has quoted.
Police carried out a scene examination and made enquiries in the area, but the alleged offenders could not be located.
Detective Constable Thomas Martin said incidents involving people being targeted through dating apps were not a new concern for police.
"There are people who, unfortunately, use dating apps to target others and take advantage of people's trust. This is not a new occurrence... but it is disturbing nonetheless," he said, 1News has quoted.
"Such reports aren't common; however, not everybody will report these attacks or threats. Our message to anyone who has been targeted like this is to please come forward," as quoted by 1News.
Online safety organisation Netsafe said dating platforms were generally used safely by most people, but could also be exploited by individuals who create false identities, gain users' trust and lure them into potentially dangerous situations.
Netsafe chief online safety officer Sean Lyon said the organisation continued to receive reports involving romance scams, sextortion, financial fraud and harmful encounters arranged through online platforms.
According to a report by 1News, he urged people using dating apps to verify who they were communicating with and take precautions when arranging to meet someone, including choosing public locations and places with security cameras.
“If it feels uncomfortable, you should feel like you can leave and make that happen. Just because you arranged to meet somebody doesn't mean you owe them anything. If you want to leave, get up and leave,” said Lyon, as quoted by 1News,
The victim said he decided to share his experience to warn others about the potential risks associated with online dating and encourage people to remain vigilant when meeting someone they have first encountered online, as reported by 1News.
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