4 teens charged with hate crime over attack on London bus which left 2 gay women bleeding after refusing to kiss for strangers' entertainment
- Four teenagers have been charged with attacking a female gay couple on a London bus.
- An unnamed 15-year-old, two 16-year-olds, and a 17-year-old — all male — were charged under anti-hate-crime laws on Thursday, London's Metropolitan Police said.
- Melania Geymonat, 28, a Ryanair flight attendant, and Chris, her American partner, described being heckled by a gang on a double-decker bus around 2:30 a.m. on May 30, robbed, and then beaten.
- Geymonat said the gang made crude sexual gestures, and when she and her girlfriend refused to kiss, the men punched them in the face.
- The four will appear at a London youth court on August 21.
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Four men have been charged with hate crimes over an attack on a gay couple riding a London bus late at night, who say they were beaten after refusing to kiss after their attackers demanded it.
On May 30, Melania Geymonat, 28, a flight attendant for Ryanair, and Chris, her American girlfriend, were heading home from an evening out when they were attacked by four young men. Their story was a viral sensation, and drew criticism from across Britain, including condemnation from then-Prime Minister Theresa May.
Geymonat, from Uruguay, said a group of men in the seats behind them noticed that they were a couple and demanded they kiss. When they refused, she said, the group beat and robbed them.
London's Metropolitan Police detailed the charges in an emailed press released on Thursday, but did not name the accused.
The charges in full were:
A 16-year-old charged with theft, handling stolen goods, and an aggravated hate crime.
A second 16-year-old charged with possession of cannabis and an aggravated hate crime.
A 17-year-old charged with committing an aggravated hate crime.
A 15-year-old charged with handling stolen goods and committing an aggravated hate crime.
The four are due to appear at Highbury Corner Youth Court on August 21, police said.
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