AN INFLUENCER has warned gay couples about visiting Croatia after his boyfriend was punched in a beach row and they were attacked with sand.
Ricky Liu, from London, took to social media to share his experience of hate crime at Bačvice beach in Split.
In an Instagram video, Ricky described swimming in the sea with his partner Craig while on vacation.
The couple hugged and posed for photos but were then pummelled with sand and pebbles by a group of children.
Ricky said: “At first we thought that someone was playing and that the sand accidentally fell on us.”
He explained how three or four children were deliberately throwing sand at him and his boyfriend.
“I went to them and asked them to stop throwing sand at us and to leave us alone,” Ricky continued.
“And then they started arguing, shouting that we are gay and similar things, but in the end they left.
“We continued taking photos and then another wet sand attack followed.”
When Ricky got sand in his eyes, he once again approached the group of kids.
Ricky said: “My boyfriend told me to just leave because the situation was unpleasant. But they followed us.
“I was filming them all the time, I was afraid for our safety and I thought that children can be brats, but adults.”
Ricky and Craig made their way back to the shoreline but he then said a man and woman scared them.
They started throwing pebbles and cigarettes at them and the woman spat on the ground.
The man then followed the couple as they tried to leave punching Craig in the face and ramming his head into a tree.
Ricky warned: “If you are gay and you are going to Croatia, be careful! I’m not angry but disappointed.
If you’re the victim of crime abroad you can get help from the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate or the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London.
In most countries, you must report the crime before you leave the country if you want it to be investigated.
You might need to report the crime to make a claim on your travel insurance.
How the embassy, high commission or consulate can help
You can get help to:
They will not be able to:
You may be able to claim compensation if you’re the victim of crime abroad.
“Now I have to fear for my safety until the end of my vacation.”
Split Pride released a statement in relation to the incident which read: “We are ashamed of Split like this today.
“During this year’s Split Pride campaign, we warned about the problem of safety in public spaces.
“We talked about how it is not fair that LGBTIQ+ people constantly have to think about how safe they are and measure how freely they can behave.
“I guess these tourists thought they could be relaxed.
“The fact is that LGBTIQ+ people cannot be relaxed in Split because, despite all valid laws, someone will always claim the right to approach them and attack them, spit and insult them. In broad daylight.
“It is shameful that in a city that invests so much in tourism, tourists are fighting on the beaches.
“The victim of the homophobic attack is an influencer with 90,000 followers, so the question is how it will affect Split tourism.
“Will all of Europe now know what kind of savages we are.
“The question is whether the Tourist Board will somehow react, apologise to the victims and condemn this attack.”
The Sun has contacted the police force in Split for comment.
