今日吃瓜

South Australian police have released CCTV images in an effort to find those responsible for an alleged brutal assault on a young same-sex couple in Rundle Mall earlier this month, which police are investigating as an alleged gay hate crime.

The incident, which took place on the evening of November 10 at 8:30pm, left one of the victims hospitalised with a broken jaw, while the other sustained significant bruising.

South Australian Police searching for three men

The couple, two men in their 20s, said they were holding hands when they were approached by two men.

One of the assailants reportedly pulled a balaclava over his face before launching the attack.

The second suspect joined in, repeatedly punching one of the victims, breaking his jaw twice, according to South Australian police.

A third individual allegedly present during the assault did not participate in the attacks.”

鈥淭his is horrible and the pain is 10/10 鈥� I鈥檓 afraid to go down the street because someone will hit me again,鈥� one of the victims told 7 今日吃瓜 Adelaide聽anonymously.

They described the trauma of being targeted due to their sexuality in public.

鈥淎t first they started yelling out homosexual harassment.”

鈥淭hey just repeatedly punched us in the face 鈥� they broke my partner鈥檚 jaw twice, and I also sustained bruising to the face and legs.鈥�

The attack reportedly ended when a local shop owner intervened, causing the assailants to flee east along Rundle Mall and then down a side street.

However, the victims expressed disappointment over the lack of support from bystanders who failed to attempt to help the men.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been traumatising for both of us. People like that shouldn鈥檛 be out there, you know, living a free life when we鈥檙e stuck inside, can鈥檛 work, can鈥檛 talk, can鈥檛 eat,鈥� one said.

South Australian Police have released CCTV images of the suspects and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

A search conducted in the area shortly after the attack failed to locate the perpetrators, and investigations remain ongoing.

A Broader Pattern of Violence

The Adelaide assault is not an isolated incident. Across Australia, LGBTQIA+ individuals are increasingly being targeted in hate crimes.

In Victoria, police have arrested 13 individuals in connection with a series of attacks where gay men were lured via dating apps such as Grindr. Victims in these cases reported being assaulted, robbed, and subjected to homophobic abuse after being tricked by fake profiles.

Kelly Lawson, Acting Commander of Victoria Police鈥檚 Priority and Safer Communities Division, emphasised law enforcement鈥檚 commitment to addressing such crimes. 鈥淭here is absolutely no place for this type of concerning behaviour in our society,鈥� she said, urging victims to report incidents to police.

Reports of similar attacks have also emerged from Canberra and Western Australia, demonstrating a troubling pattern of targeted violence against LGBTQIA+ communities nationwide.

Advocates are calling for stronger protections, better public education, and increased visibility of hate crimes to combat this alarming trend.