Woman jailed for train attack on 16-year-old lesbian
A 20-year-old woman has been jailed after she launched a physical attack on a young lesbian who had kissed her partner on a train.
The attack occurred on a train between Hastings and Bexhill in Sussex after the teenage girls shared a kiss, The Argus reports.
April James has been jailed for six weeks for the attack after pleading guilty to assault.
The 16-year-old victim was subjected to homophobic abuse after the kiss and kicked as she lay on the platform after alighting the train. She identified her attacker through Facebook and James was subsequently arrested.
Her victim statement said: “This incident made me feel ashamed of who I am and made me scared of going out and getting on a train.
“It made me scared of being with my girlfriend.
“It has taken me a long time to be confident with my sexuality and this has knocked me back down.”
According to The Argus, the victim’s mother said after sentencing: “I’m immensely proud of my daughter and the choice she has made but this incident left her feeling ashamed and has had an immeasurable impact on her and the rest of our family.
“In this day and age everyone should have the right to go about their business and be who they want to be without fear of abuse or repercussions.”
PC Billy Burstow said: “The girl was violently attacked and stood no chance of defending herself against five others.
“I hope the prison sentence handed down to April James shows that violence and discriminatory, homophobic abuse will simply not be tolerated by the police and the courts.”
