Homophobic attack man badly hurt


A man is in a life-threatening condition in hospital after what police have described as a homophobic attack in Liverpool city centre.



About 13 youths, aged between 15 and 18, are believed to have been involved in the assault on the 22-year-old in Stanley Street on Sunday evening.

Three boys from the Kirkdale area, two aged 15 and one aged 14, have been arrested on suspicion of assault.

Merseyside Police cordoned off Stanley Street during the investigation.

The victim had been out with friends when he was attacked, suffering serious head injuries, police said.

Det Ch Insp Tim Keelan said: "We are treating the assault as a homophobic hate crime and this incident shows there are still some people who have not learnt that crimes of this type are completely unacceptable.

People who commit hate crimes can expect the full attention of the police and we will not rest until the offenders are brought to justice."

CCTV footage from the scene of the attack is being examined and high-visibility patrols have been stepped up in the area.

Tommy McIlravey, chairman of Liverpool's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community (LGB&T) said it was a "shocking attack".

"Stanley Street is the very heart of gay Liverpool. There has been a gay bar somewhere along there for the best part of 40 years.

"Whatever the motivation for this attack, it is shocking to everyone who socialises in that area.

"If this does turn out to be a homophobic assault then it will serve as another sick reminder of how far we still have to go to Liverpool and in the UK to better protect LGB&T people."

The group will hold an open meeting to discuss recent events in the next couple of weeks he confirmed.



THE BBC

hi t.cs missus here,my brothers gay and it worries my mum sick every time he goes for a night out,in this day and age you would think people would know better,but then these were only kids ,hope the lads ok

No matter what there will always be a handful of small minded people out there who are just to stupid to accept other peoples ways, even when they dont effect theirs.

Gay police officer victim named as James Parkes.



A GAY man is fighting for his life today following a vicious gang beating in Liverpool city centre.

The 22-year–old, who the ECHO understands is a trainee constable with Merseyside police and has been named as James Parkes, was attacked by up to 13 people at 10pm last night when out with three friends on Stanley Street.

He is currently in hospital with multiple skull fractures, a fractured eye socket and a fractured cheek bone.

Three youths, two aged 15 and another aged 14, from Kirkdale have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Stanley Street will remained closed until police forensics have completed their investigations.

A spokeswoman for Merseyside Police said: “We were called to reports of a serious assault on Stanley Street at 10pm last night.

“The victim was taken to hospital with serious head injuries.

“He has suffered multiple fractures to his skull, a fractured cheek bone and a fractured eye socket.

“We are treating the incident as a homophobic attack.

“We believe from witnesses there may have been up to 13 people involved in the attack aged 15–18.

“Three youths from Kirkdale have been arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with the incident. There are two aged 15 and a 14 year–old.

“The road will remain closed until the forensic teams have completed their investigations.

“Once residents leave their premises we are asking that they don’t return until later today.

“We are trying to preserve the crime scene as much as possible.”

Stanley Street is at the centre of Liverpool’s gay culture, with several gay friendly bars and plans for it to grow to rival Manchester’s famous Canal Street.

The attack comes just a week before the opening of Liverpool’s annual gay festival, Homotopia. In its sixth year, it is branded Homotopia NOT Homophobia for 2009.

Its Facebook site today said: “This has to stop. Enough is enough.” Director Gary Everett said: "This is devastating to wake up to. I am really very shocked.

"For the past five years we have raised money to work closely with schools, the media and the wider community to get out how homophobia ruins lives.

"This is exactly what we have been working to avoid. My heart goes out to this man and I wish him a speedy recovery."

DCI Tim Keelan, said: "I would appeal to anyone who may have information which could help us to catch those responsible for this despicable crime to come forward.

Intensive inquires are taking place and we are currently examining CCTV footage from around the time of the incident to identify those responsible.

"We are treating the assault as a homophobic hate crime and this incident shows there are still some people who have not learnt that crimes of this type are completely unacceptable.

People who commit hate crimes can expect the full attention of the police and we will not rest until the offenders are brought to justice.

The offenders will learn their lesson the hard way. "We have stepped up high visibility patrols in the area to reassure the

public and we would urge the community to help us with our enquiries and find those responsible." He added: "Merseyside Police is commited to taking robust and positive

action when investigating hate crimes."The force has a number of specialist Sigma Investigation Units, which provide support for victims whilst at the same time taking action to arrest

and prosecute offenders. The Sigma Unit in Liverpool North is involved in this investigation and will be working with the victim in this case."

Witnesses should call St Anne’s Street CID on 0151 777 4064 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

THE ECHO

Im sorry but if this was just Joe Bloggs from the street instead of a trainee police man who likes to put his thing inside other men then would this be getting the same treatment from the police?????

I somehow dont think so.

If he was asian and gay would that double the number of police on the task?????

If he was white and hetrosexual, with a job and family would the police even effin turn up? Would they feck!

By the way Im Steve and Im Hetrosexual!

RANT OVER....... for now

Hi Steve, I am pleased you felt you could share that with the group!!

In seriousness though, I drink in Liverpool (Ship & Mitre, Dr Duncans and Wood Street) and have never had an issue with any of the Scousers. It's when you get the late bus home that trouble is usually caused. The idiots seem to be from The Wirral.

Hope this guy pulls through.

If you think that all gay men are purely intent on sodomy then you are sadly mistaken and out of date in the age of AIDS. It's this sort of pleb bigotry that fuels these incidents.

Personally, I'm straight but I've got to agree with Graham Chapman who argued that gays have every right to feels superior to heterosexuals as they don't go around filling our planet with millions of surplus humans.

Im sickened....homophobic kids! Wtf?

Homophobic or not this is a despicable crime. When a policeman is looking for my missing child, when a surgeon is saving my life or a Fireman is carring me out of a burning building i am not going to ask if he's gay, i don't care, its his life to choose what he wants to do with it.

well said bert1

Was this really homophobic????
These kids are feral. They hunt like a pack of animals.
I don't believe they have the intellgence to have an original thought or opinion, they just like to prey on the vunerable. They got a taste for blood so went to the gay quarter where they knew would find an easy target.

Part of the problem is the way some go about their sexuality. In the main no one gives a stuff but when you get some of the gays openly doing stuff to taunt someone into reacting then it is incitement. It gives me the creeps when you get heteros snogging and groping in public but when those who bat for the other side do it the hair on the back of my neck stands up, and that is an involuntary reaction so can I be jailed for it? It's not right. Before anyone gets on my case I usually go down the Lisbon for a drink when I'm in the area and it's a reasonable pub and it's not all that outrageous in there. If they just go about their business in a low key manner half the shoit wouldn't happen but they shouldn't be flaunting it, heteros don't.

Hetro's don't behave in a disgraceful manner do they not BandyCoot...what about dogging,curb crawling and swinging parties!I suppose you think all that is ok because it's straight people.I find your attitude ignorant and out-dated.People need to open up and stop relying on the stereotypical gay to put the boot in. we're not all dirty people who go cruising in parks or toilets for annonymous 'encounters'.You usually find that they are the married 'straights' who are too gutless to 'come out' so can't be seen in a gay bar.
Another thing that annoys me is when you say to people that you are gay,normally thier first reaction is "why didn't you say so before" as though they had a god given right to know.Do hetro's go around declaring thier sexuality..no but it's expected of us.
Most of my friends are straight and they come out boozing in my bars as I do in thiers.
There is only a problem if people are closed minded.

Im afraid i am with bandycoot on this one, I'm not against gays but I cant help but feel sick inside when i see two men kissing.

And it's not a problem being gay,ignorance and homophobia are the problem not gay people.Although I do agree that some are annoying (even to myself) but I live and let live with all creeds and sexualities and if I don't like I leave or turn away.

Publicly yeah I'll agree with that because I don't think kids and the likes should see. I would say no to that myself. only I'm not one of them ones that shouts my sexuality from the room tops nor am I a 'screaming queen's we ourselves call them.They are the ones that give the rest of us a bad name.

And this justifie's the violence? Sorry, but you are out of order trying to justify violence against someone on the basis of their sexuality/creed/religion etc...

As for your quote "they shouldn't be flaunting it, heteros don't" wtf man, do you never go out? Shit, if im with a girl in Tesco and fancy a kiss, I will, call it love, affection or whatever... you ALWAYS get hetro's kissing and touching in public, you don't notice it because it is not tabood, but it happens all the time.

If anything, gay's are less likely to kiss etc in public, simply because of the nasty attention that it can attract.

When you have violent thugs and sex offenders roaming the streets, the gays can kiss as much as they want in public as it's harming nobody, it's your fault if you have the urge to stand there and stare at them kissing, you don't have to look. Maybe your apparent urge to watch gays kissing and be disgusted, is your body/mind sub-consciously telling you something.

Thanks for that Matt that's what I ws trying to say but couldn't put quite as straight (pardon the pun)as you just did.

...can I just say...without retribution...I could slap that Graham Norton though. He gets right on my tits.

I once went to 'Garlands' in Scouseland with some girly mates. Even though I am straight I was a little saddened that no gay person hit on me.

I am even too ugly for the homosexuals!!! I did however get a snog from a girl in a tutu on Dale Street.

Feel free to mock, criticise, moan, bitch, tickle me!

.

Are you sure it was a girl in the tutu Paul and not a tranny!!

.

Does this now mean that we should be more weary when we come out of gay bars? Apparently the poor lad was with his mates and was the first out of the door, the gang was waiting for whoever to come out of the bar first. I personally am not gay but i go to a lot of gay bars with both gay and straight friends, most of the time there is a better atmosphere and less drunken idiots trying to take advantage. the question i am asking is should we be avoiding the places we like going because gang of inbreeds decided to attack first and ask later? I hate that because you frequent a gay bar you must of course be gay!

Parents of gay police officer James Parkes condemn gang which attacked him in Liverpool



THE parents of a rookie police officer have condemned the homophobic gang which battered him in Liverpool city centre.

Trainee PC James Parkes was attacked by up to 20 youths in Stanley Street as he left gay bar Superstar Boudoir with three friends at 10pm on Sunday.

He is currently in a “poorly” condition in hospital, with doctors saying the next 24 hours are crucial.

In a statement, his parents Ann and Ron Parkes said: “We want to thank the investigation team for all the work they are doing to catch the people involved in this vicious attack.

“We are really grateful for all the support James has received since the attack, particularly from the gay community and the police.

“James has worked hard to serve the community over the last two years as a police community support officer and is very excited to be at the start of his career as a police officer.

“We cannot believe the ignorance of the young people who carried out the attack on someone who was just out on a night out with friends and had done nothing wrong.

“We are really keen the young people involved in the attack are brought to justice and would ask anyone who knows anything about the attack to contact the police.”

Since the attack, Liverpool’s gay community has rallied around and organised a march, which should take place late in November.

Riverside MP Louise Ellman today called for an urgent meeting with Merseyside police, saying she would be taking the issue to home secretary Alan Johnson.

Mrs Ellman, who is Jewish, has herself been on the receiving end of hate crime.

She said: “This was a horrifying and shameful attack and the perpetrators must be identified and swiftly brought to justice.”

Acting Chief Inspector Richard Carr, of Merseyside police, echoed Mr and Mrs Parkes’s plea.

He said: “I urge anybody with any information to contact the police. You can talk to us in complete confidence.”

Call Merseyside police on 0151-777 4064; Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or Armistead on 0151-227 1931.

Two males aged 14 and 17 and four aged 15, all from Kirkdale, were arrested on suspicion of assault and released on bail.

THE ECHO