Homophobic violence in Dublin

dublin | crime and justice | news report Friday February 06, 2004 12:24 by Paul McAndrew ardhanishvara at hotmail dot com

Teen Gang Forces Lesbian Couple From Home

(Dublin) The leader of an Irish teen gang has been handed a slap on the wrist after beating a woman over the head with a bottle and forcing her and her partner to move from their home.

Teen Gang Forces Lesbian Couple From Home
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff



Posted: January 31, 2004 4:32 p.m. ET

(Dublin) The leader of an Irish teen gang has been handed a slap on the wrist after beating a woman over the head with a bottle and forcing her and her partner to move from their home.

The court was told that the couple had endured a long campaign of torment from the gang of teenage girls. It reached a climax on November 23, 2002 the court was told this week.

The teens began a disturbance outside the women's home, and when one of the women went outside to plead with them to go away, the ringleader, a 16 year old girl, smashed a bottle over the woman's head. She needed multiple stitches to close the wound.

When police arrived on the scene the gang members began to attack the officers.

The harassment forced the women to flee their home. They have not been back since.

In court, the lawyer for the girl, who cannot be named, said his client has since straightened out her life. John Quinn said the girl had no previous attends school full-time and has a part-time job. "She was drunk and less mature at the time of the attack," he said.

Judge Cormac Dunne agreed. The girl was handed a fine amounting to about $750 dollars and gave her four months to pay. If she met the fine, Dunne said he would consider putting her in probation but expunging the conviction, leaving her with no criminal record.

One of the woman later said she felt the sentence was too light.

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