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| Gay couple beaten for refusing to kiss on London bus | Gay couple beaten for refusing to kiss on London bus |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A couple say they were subjected to a homophobic attack and left covered in blood after refusing to kiss on a bus. | |
| Melania Geymonat, 28, said the attack on her and girlfriend Chris happened on the top deck of a London night bus as they were travelling to Camden Town in the early hours of 30 May. | |
| A group of young men began harassing them when they discovered the women were a couple, asking them to kiss while making sexual gestures. | A group of young men began harassing them when they discovered the women were a couple, asking them to kiss while making sexual gestures. |
| Scotland Yard is investigating. | Scotland Yard is investigating. |
| Ms Geymonat posted on her Facebook page: "In an attempt to calm things down, I started making jokes. I thought this might make them go away. Chris even pretended she was sick, but they kept on harassing us, throwing us coins and becoming more enthusiastic about it. | |
| "The next thing I know is that Chris is in the middle of the bus fighting with them. On an impulse, I went over there only to find her face bleeding and three of them beating her up. | "The next thing I know is that Chris is in the middle of the bus fighting with them. On an impulse, I went over there only to find her face bleeding and three of them beating her up. |
| "The next thing I know is I'm being punched. I got dizzy at the sight of my blood and fell back. I don't remember whether or not I lost consciousness. Suddenly the bus had stopped, the police were there and I was bleeding all over." | "The next thing I know is I'm being punched. I got dizzy at the sight of my blood and fell back. I don't remember whether or not I lost consciousness. Suddenly the bus had stopped, the police were there and I was bleeding all over." |
| Ms Geymonat added that the gang of at least four men might have broken her nose during the ordeal, and stole a phone and bag from them before fleeing. | |
| Both women were taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries. | Both women were taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries. |
| Ms Geymonat said one of the men spoke Spanish and the others had British accents. | |
| London mayor Sadiq Khan described the attack as disgusting and misogynistic. | London mayor Sadiq Khan described the attack as disgusting and misogynistic. |
| Siwan Hayward, director of compliance, policing and on-street services at Transport for London, described the assault as "sickening" and "utterly unacceptable", adding that "homophobic behaviour and abuse is a hate crime and won't be tolerated on our network". | Siwan Hayward, director of compliance, policing and on-street services at Transport for London, described the assault as "sickening" and "utterly unacceptable", adding that "homophobic behaviour and abuse is a hate crime and won't be tolerated on our network". |
| Police are appealing for witnesses for the attack which happened at about 02:30 BST on a N31 bus in West Hampstead. | Police are appealing for witnesses for the attack which happened at about 02:30 BST on a N31 bus in West Hampstead. |
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