Western Australian police are investigating a series of homophobic assaults where the victims were lured through their use of dating apps.
There have been several incidents where unsuspecting men, under the belief that they were speaking to legitimate users of the apps, have arrived for face-to-face meeting only to find themselves being surrounded by several men who have then assaulted them.
Police have also confirmed that vision of some of the attacked have later been posted online. They have issued a warning for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, as well as people who are transgender or gender diverse to exercise caution when meeting people through dating apps.
“In each instance, the male victims — who believe they have been speaking to legitimate users — have agreed to meet someone they have connected with on a dating app earlier,” a police spokeswoman said.
“Upon arrival to the agreed upon location, they have been surrounded and assaulted by several males while being subjected to homophobic slurs.
“In some instances, the victim’s car is damaged as they attempt to retreat from the situation.”
“Detectives have spoken to a number of victims and several investigative actions are currently underway.”
WA Police Detective Inspector Matt Froude said the incidents were being treated seriously.
“This is why we’re working tirelessly to track down these offenders and hold them to account,” Det.-Insp. Froude said.
“We take this behaviour extremely seriously and there is no place for this kind of targeted violence in our community.”
If anyone has been a victim of an assault of this nature, they are urged to contact police on 131 444.
Information related to the incidents can be reported via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Australia’s E-Safety Commissioner has several guides for using popular social media apps. Take a look.
While police say incidents of this nature are rare, there have been a number of incidents around Australia in recent months involving assaults and robberies via dating apps including incidents in Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane.
Similar cases have occurred in Perth in recent years.
In 2017 two young men pleaded guilty over a series of assaults on gay men they lured via online dating apps. Men were approached on Grindr and then lured to public spaces in the Thornlie area with the promise of sex. Once they arrived at the rendezvous they were attacked. One victim was left with bleeding on the brain, while another was struck with a modified baseball bat.
The following year there was a series of assaults of gay men in Perth’s northern suburbs where men were lured to desolate parks late at night. A group of eight teenage students were later convicted over the assaults and robberies.
In 2021 in two separate incidents men were assaulted after being lured to a late-night rendezvous on a building site in Gosnells. Police later arrested and charged a 26-year-old man over the assaults.
Do you need some support?
If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, support and counselling are available from:
QLife: 1800 184 527 / qlife.org.au (Webchat 3pm – midnight) QLife are a counselling and referral service for LGBTQIA+ people.
DISCHARGED: info@discharged.org.au / discharged.org.au
Discharged is a trans-led support service with peer support groups for trans and gender diverse folks.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 / lifeline.org.au
Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 / www.beyondblue.org.au
