Lesbophobic Assault Montpellier
The assault occurred on Saturday, June 1, during an urban festival in Montpellier. A couple of women were accosted, mocked, and insulted in the street by a man and his friend. Then, one of the women was punched in the face by at least four men, according to her video testimony on social media. The victim has filed a complaint.
Supported by the LGBT+ association, Fiertés Citoyennes!, the victim shared her story in a video on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
“4 or 5 men came at me, hitting me” A few days after the assault, bruises are still visible on her face.
“I was with my girlfriend, we were talking, hugging, and that’s when a man started mocking us. His girlfriend arrived and told me, ‘But you, you’re acting like a man. You want to be a man, so if you want to be a man, fight like a man.’ I didn’t have time to respond before her boyfriend punched me in the face.”
“After that, I have very few memories because I was attacked. Four or five men came at me, hitting me.” – Laura, victim of a lesbophobic assault, in Montpellier, June 1, 2024. Friends who witnessed the scene came to the rescue and separated the attackers from the victim.
A Complaint Filing That “Went Badly” That same evening, the victim went to the police station to file a complaint. During this process, she says she was received coldly, without empathy, and even describes it as a verbal assault.
“I was told that since I didn’t have a medical certificate, I needed to go to the Emergency Room and that they didn’t have time to see me,” explains Laura.
“When I filed the complaint, I specified that I was with my girlfriend, and the officer wrote ‘was with her friend.’ I repeated ‘girlfriend.’ In addition to the physical assault, this felt like a verbal assault. So, I am angry.” – Laura, victim of a lesbophobic assault in Montpellier. The Prefect of Hérault reacted to this statement. François-Xavier Lauch explained in a tweet that he had asked the interdepartmental director of the national police to review how Laura was received when she filed her complaint. He also informed the public prosecutor of this case.
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