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| Court order for boy, 15, who made homophobic gestures at bus couple | Court order for boy, 15, who made homophobic gestures at bus couple |
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| Teenager must attend diversity sessions after incident in May involving same-sex couple | Teenager must attend diversity sessions after incident in May involving same-sex couple |
| A 15-year-old boy who used homophobic gestures to abuse a same-sex couple on a bus has been ordered to attend diversity sessions. | |
| Melania Geymonat and Christine Hannigan were subjected to homophobic slurs and gestures by a group of teenagers while on a date shortly after 2.15am on 30 May. | Melania Geymonat and Christine Hannigan were subjected to homophobic slurs and gestures by a group of teenagers while on a date shortly after 2.15am on 30 May. |
| On the top deck of the N31 bus in north London, three people aged 15, 16 and 17 surrounded the two women and began asking them intrusive questions such as: “How do you have sex?” | On the top deck of the N31 bus in north London, three people aged 15, 16 and 17 surrounded the two women and began asking them intrusive questions such as: “How do you have sex?” |
| Highbury Corner youth court heard the 15-year-old made “degrading gestures” towards the pair. | Highbury Corner youth court heard the 15-year-old made “degrading gestures” towards the pair. |
| Hannigan, who is bisexual, previously explained in court that such hand gestures were often used to taunt women in same-sex relationships. | Hannigan, who is bisexual, previously explained in court that such hand gestures were often used to taunt women in same-sex relationships. |
| The court also heard the 15-year-old handed the 17-year-old coins that he then threw at the couple, prompting a scuffle between Hannigan and one of the teenagers. | The court also heard the 15-year-old handed the 17-year-old coins that he then threw at the couple, prompting a scuffle between Hannigan and one of the teenagers. |
| Shortly before the trial, all three admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress against the two women. | |
| Appearing at the youth court on Monday, the 15-year-old was given a youth referral order of eight months, increased from six because of the homophobic nature of the incident. A second charge of handling stolen goods, related to Geymonat’s bank card, was included in the sentence. | Appearing at the youth court on Monday, the 15-year-old was given a youth referral order of eight months, increased from six because of the homophobic nature of the incident. A second charge of handling stolen goods, related to Geymonat’s bank card, was included in the sentence. |
| Josef Rybacki, mitigating, said: “We have heard a description of the offences. It is clearly a case of immaturity and stupidity rather than hostility. He has accepted the events in full without a basis of plea.” | Josef Rybacki, mitigating, said: “We have heard a description of the offences. It is clearly a case of immaturity and stupidity rather than hostility. He has accepted the events in full without a basis of plea.” |
| When asked how his actions may have hurt the two women, the 15-year-old said: “I feel sorry for the victims – it didn’t have to escalate like that.” | When asked how his actions may have hurt the two women, the 15-year-old said: “I feel sorry for the victims – it didn’t have to escalate like that.” |
| The district judge, Nicholas Rimmer, handed down the eight-month order for the teenager’s “disgusting acts”. | |
| He added: “The court very strongly disapproves of the sort of behaviour you exhibited on 30 May. They were in a relationship, they were happy, they were simply enjoying the pleasures of life and being in love. They were met with disgusting and degrading behaviour, and you should feel thoroughly ashamed of your conduct.” | |
| Rimmer said the two women were “intimidated and degraded” by the 15-year-old. “You need the close supervision of the youth offending service to think carefully about your behaviour,” he said. | |
| The judge said the eight-month referral order would involve work on hate crime and relationships with peers. “This will include diversity sessions, which will make you think about hate crime, the protected characteristics and minority groups,” Rimmer said. | |
| The teenager was also sentenced to a 10-day activity requirement that includes 20 hours of community reparation. He will also be banned from having any contact with the two other teenagers for four months. No compensation was ordered. | |
| Rimmer said: “It’s very unlikely that the victims want money. They likely want to put this whole unpleasant incident behind them.” The teenager will have to pay a surcharge of £20. | |