Three young men were arrested for organizing violence and robberies against at least 11 gay men using an LGBT+ dating site. In February and March, the service Gay Help Line, toll-free number 800 713 713 The Gay Center against Homophobia and Transphobia, working with the support of UNAR – Ministry of Equal Opportunities, the Lazio Region, the Municipality of Rome, and the Waldensian Church, has collected reports from eight gay men who said they had been victims of robberies, threats, and insults during meetings.
The incidents occurred in and around Rome. The three suspects contacted the victims on a gay dating chat site, where they had created a fake profile. However, three of them showed up at the meeting: one driving a gray car and two hiding in the back seat. When the boy entered the vehicle, they chased him down and, using punches and blows, forced him to hand over his wallet, phone, or valuables.
Almost always, the action was accompanied by homophobic insults, spitting and acts of mockery: “You've seen what happens when you're a faggot! "You're a piece of shit faggot."”. In some cases, the threat of revealing the victim's sexual orientation or sharing compromising photographs exchanged via chat was also used to force the person to withdraw money from an ATM or at home.
Gay Help Line involved OSCAD, Observatory for Security against Discriminatory Acts, Inter-Agency Office of the Department of Public Security, which immediately took action to act as a liaison with regard to the criminal incidents, bringing them to the attention of the Prosecuting Police Forces.
“Gay Help Line immediately offered legal and psychological support to those involved, supporting both those who have reported and those who haven't yet found the courage to do so. Violence against sexual orientation, in fact, creates severe trauma and fear in victims that discourages and hinders reporting, leading to an underreporting of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes committed in our country.” declares Alessandra Rossi – Coordinator of the Gay Help Line 800 713 713.
“Oscad's work and our mediation with victims is essential to stopping the violent acts that expose so many young people to danger” – declares Lawyer Alessandro Cataldi, Head of the Legal Department of the Gay Help Line 800 713 713– “In the cases we have followed, the criminal agenda targets gay men, maliciously deceived through the ruse of a date, to then exploit the victim's difficulty in combating guilt and seeking justice. Therefore, we sincerely thank all the victims who have facilitated the reconstruction of the facts over the past month, showing their willingness to share a painful experience with the intention of providing mutual support. We believe that the number of confirmed victims is lower than the actual number. I therefore appeal to all those who have not yet reported: ask for support also through the Gay Help Line 800 713 713; we will guide you on the path to filing a complaint.”.