Teen left with broken nose and fractured jaw for refusing to answer ‘are you a boy or a girl?’
Frederique’s nose was broken and jaw fractured after the brutal attack. (LinkedIn/Paul Brink)
A 16-year-old Dutch girl was attacked and left with a broken nose and fractured jaw after refusing to answer the question: “Are you a boy or a girl?”
Frédérique was walking through an area of Amstelveen in the north of the Netherlands on 26 July when a boy aged about 14 approached her and shouted the question about her gender.
According to a LinkedIn post about the incident shared by Frédérique’s dad, Paul Brink, she responded to the boy by saying that “it doesn’t matter”.
He reportedly shouted “are you a boy or a girl” at her again, which Frédérique responded to by saying: “I am who I am and you may be if you want to be.”
The boy then attacked Frédérique, punching her in the face and breaking her nose and several teeth, and fracturing her jaw.
Dutch girl recovering at home after assault
Her dad, Paul, said that he is “incredibly proud” of his “beautiful daughter” because “she wants to be who she is”.
He continued: “Boy or girl, straight, gay or bisexual she (and all of us) don’t care.” Hundreds of thousands of people have liked and commented on his LinkedIn post about the attack, which includes a photo of Frédérique’s swollen and bloody face.
Amsterdam police tweeted on Tuesday (27 July) that they have arrested a 14-year-old boy in relation to the incident and are treating the brutal assault as a possible LGBT-related attack, according to Associated Press.
Paul Brink posted an update on LinkedIn yesterday (27 July), saying that Frédérique is recovering at home.
“We will surround and support her with all the love that has been given from you and let her enjoy the coming days in order to recover quickly,” he wrote.
“Frédérique in particular, but we as a family also hope that the perpetrator arrested yesterday and any others who may follow may soon be reunited with the love of their loved ones and be tolerantly admitted back to Amstelveen, which has always been known for its diversity and tolerance.”
Last year, Dutch politicians voted in favour of a measure to amend the country’s constitution to add explicit protections based on sexual orientation. It was the first time protections for LGBT+ people have been enshrined in the country’s constitution.
