British police are treating an incident which saw two men stabbed in south-west London as a potential homophobic hate crime.
The two men were standing outside the Two Brewers pub in Clapham High Street on Sunday night when they were approached by a man who attacked them before running away.
One of the victims was in his 20s while the other was in his 30s. Both men were taken to hospital for treatment and have now been discharged.
The venue has been at the heart of London’s gay scene for over 40 years. In a statement the venue thanked the many people who have send them messages of support and solidarity.
“Our continuous thoughts are with the victims of the horrific attack.” the venue said. “For now it’s business as usual, we won’t less this cruel attack grind us down, let’s keep spreading the love!”
Detective Inspector Gary Castle from Scotland Yard said police were “acutely aware of the shock this attack will cause members of the LGBT+ community”.
“We recently announced the reinstatement of LGBT+ community liaison officers for each of our 12 basic command units (BCUs) in London to support and advise on investigations where homophobia is a motive, and to ensure the community has a dedicated point of contact to address any concerns they may have.”
London mayor Sadiq Khan has called the incident “abhorrent.”
“It’s a huge relief the victims are out of hospital – my thoughts remain with them and their loved ones. If you have any information, please do not stay silent,” he said appealing for witnesses to come forward.
OIP Staff
You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.
