Two young people in Munich’s Glockenbachviertel were first subjected to queerphobic insults and then sprayed with pepper spray on Sunday evening, Munich police announced on Wednesday.
The victims—a 19-year-old from the Miesbach district and a 20-year-old from Munich—were sitting on a park bench at Stephansplatz around 10:15 p.m. when an unknown man approached them and offered them drugs. When they declined, he returned with a group of four more men and one woman.
From this group, the two were repeatedly subjected to verbal insults using derogatory homophobic and transphobic terms, according to the police. When they tried to move away, one person from the group followed them and sprayed them with pepper spray. Both sustained minor injuries. They cleaned themselves off at a nearby establishment, and did not seek medical treatment.
The victims reportedly filed a report with a Munich police station the following day. Detective Department 44 is investigating for aggravated assault and insult.
The alleged primary offender is described in the police report as about 20 years old, roughly 180 centimeters tall, and of Central European appearance; he was wearing a T-shirt and shorts.
The police are asking for tips from witnesses who were in the Stephansplatz and Thalkirchner Straße area during the specified time frame. They can contact the Munich Police Station at (089) 2910-0 or reach out to any other police station.
