VILE ABUSE
Ryanair stewardess and girlfriend battered on London bus ‘because they refused to kiss’ are bombarded with homophobic abuse online
A COUPLE battered on a London bus because they refused to kiss have been subjected to disgusting homophobic abuse online.
Ryanair stewardess Melania Geymonat, 28, and her girlfriend Chris, 29, were left with horrific facial injuries following the horrific homophobic attack.
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American Chris, suffered a broken jaw in the attack and both women had facial injuries including cuts and bruises when the four yobs set upon them.
This morning a fifth suspect was arrested in connection with the attack on the bus in Camden, north London, on May 30.
Bus operator Metroline said it had the footage and was co-operating with police.
Despite the public outrage, the couple have been bombarded with shocking abuse online, with people blaming them for "bringing it on themselves".
Ryan Bennett wrote on Facebook: "That's what you get for being gay."
Chisomo Chitete said: "No wonder my brother still can't find a girl to marry. All the girls have been taken by girls".
Danzil Denno commented: "Don't do that in public. See now the results of being silly?"
However the defiant pair have said they won't be made to hide who they are because of the disgraceful attack.
Chris told the : "I am not scared about being visibly queer.
"If anything, you should do it more.
"I was and still am angry. It was scary, but this is not a novel situation."
She added: "A lot of people's rights and basic safety are at risk.
"I want people to feel emboldened to stand up to the same people who feel emboldened by the right-wing populism that is, I feel, responsible for the escalation in hate crimes.
"I want people to take away from this that they should stand up for themselves and each other."
HORROR ATTACK
Melania, from Uruguay but now lives in Bishop's Stortford in Essex, said the pair decided to sit at the front on the top deck because they both enjoy the novelty of a double-decker bus.
Then a gang of young men behind them saw they were a couple and started to demand they kiss while making crude sexual gestures.
Chris and Melania were alone on the bus with the thugs.
Writing on Facebook, Melania said: "They started behaving like hooligans, demanding that we kissed so they could enjoy watching, calling us ‘lesbians’ and describing sexual positions.
"I don’t remember the whole episode, but the word 'scissors' stuck in my mind.
"In an attempt to calm things down, I started making jokes.
"I thought this might make them go away. Chris even pretended she was sick, but they kept on harassing us, throwing us coins and becoming more enthusiastic about it."
Before Melania had realised what was happening, Chris was in the middle of the group of males being beaten.
What upsets me the most is that violence has become a common thing
Melania Geymonat
She said: "I went over there only to find her face bleeding and three of them beating her up.
"The next thing I know is I'm being punched.
";I got dizzy at the sight of my blood and fell back. I don’t remember whether or not I lost consciousness.
"Suddenly the bus had stopped, the police were there and I was bleeding all over."
Melania is waiting to find out if her nose was broken in the vile attack.
She said there were at least four of them and one spoke Spanish while the others had a British accent.
The attackers also robbed the couple before fleeing the bus.
Melania, who moved to the UK in February and is on a year's sabbatical from her medical studies, said she felt safe as a gay woman in London and was stunned by the attack.
REGULAR VIOLENCE
She released the picture to raise awareness of violence against women and gay people.
Melania said: "What upsets me the most is that violence has become a common thing, that sometimes it's necessary to see a woman bleeding after having been punched to feel some kind of impact.
"I'm tired of being taken as a sexual object, of finding out these situations are usual, of gay friends who were beaten up just because.
"We have to endure verbal harassment and chauvinist, misogynistic and homophobic violence because when you stand up for yourself s**t like this happens.
"I just hope that in June, Pride Month, stuff like this can be spoken out loudly so they stop happening!"
MAYOR'S REPSONSE
London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted: "This was a disgusting, misogynistic attack. Hate crimes against LGBT+ people will not be tolerated in London.
"The Met Police are investigating. If you have any information about this call 101 to report it."
Theresa May said: “This was a sickening attack and my thoughts are with the couple affected. Nobody should ever have to hide who they are or who they love and we must work together to eradicate unacceptable violence towards the LGBT community.”
The Labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said: “We must not, and will not, accept this homophobic and misogynist violence in our society. Solidarity to Melania and Chris, and to all in the LGBT+ community for everything they endure for simply being who they are.”
Four male teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18 were arrested in connection with the assault yesterday.
And a fifth suspect was arrested this morning.
A Metropolitan spokesperson said: "The incident happened at approximately 02:30hrs on Thursday, 30 May after the two women, both aged in their 20s, boarded a N31 bus in West Hampstead.
"As they sat on the top deck they were approached by a group of four males who began to make lewd and homophobic comments to them.
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"The women were then attacked and punched several times before the males ran off the bus. A phone and bag were stolen during the assault.
"Both women were taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries."
Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact police on 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD737/30May.
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Melania Geymonat was left with a black eye after the assault - and may have also suffered a broken nose
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Homophobic bus attack - LGTB spokesperson Eve Hartley says the we need to crack down on hate crime
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