NANAIMO, BC: It’s a shame that on one hand BC is celebrating transgender day of visibility and on the other hand incidents of discrimination against LGBTQ community keep appearing. In a recent incident Nanaimo RCMP informed public about a possible hate crime based on information received that the victim was targeted due to his sexual orientation. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday March 27, 2022, at a house party on Old Slope Road.
The victim, a 19-year-old man, reported the incident to the Nanaimo RCMP later that same day after attending to the Nanaimo hospital for a medical assessment of his injuries. It is alleged that the victim was punched in the head, then thrown to the ground where he received several more punches. The assault was stopped after friends of the victim intervened.
The investigation hadlead to the arrest of a 19-year-old man for one count of assault. At approximately 10 PM on Tuesday March 29, 2022, the accused was arrested without incident. He was later released from police custody and issued with an Undertaking to appear in Nanaimo Provincial court on May 24, 2022.
“Violence of any kind is unacceptable, and especially when it involves individuals who have allegedly been targeted because of their sexual preference. We are aggressively pursuing this investigation and have reached out to the victim to ensure he is supported as the investigation progresses”, said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
Although an arrest has been made, police are continuing with their investigation and are asking for witnesses to come forward. If anyone was at the party and witnessed the incident, please contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345, and quote file # 2022-10317.
