Mother's tears after gay teen son is attacked
A Derry mother has told of how her 17 year-old son broke down after being assaulted on the Strand Road on in the early hours of Sunday.
The frightened mother, who did not want to be named, said her son was left badly shaken by the unprovoked attack - the second homophobic assault in Derry inside a week.
“When my son came home after it he broke down crying and threw his arms round me. He said; ‘Mammy, why me, why do I have to be gay, I don’t like being gay, it’s not through my choice, I can’t help it.’ I just broke down in tears along with him.”
She added that the attackers drove past in a car and called her son a “faggot”. They told him he was “disgusting and not normal”.
Three attackers then jumped out of the car and “started punching him round his head”, his mum explained.
“All he could do was lie down and put his hands around his head . . . they were kicking into him, they then just walked on and left him lying there. It scared him and it really scared me - he’s been attacked verbally in the past but this is the first time he’s been physically attacked.”
The teenager sustained bruises to his head and ribs.
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Weather for Derry
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy rain
Temperature: 3 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 28 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South west
