New Zealand’s outgoing Police Commissioner has apologised to the man who spoke out on 1 NEWS after suffering an alleged homophobic attack in Wellington during Pride weekend.
The man claimed police refused to walk him and his partner home after the attack. Police Commissioner Mike Bush says that wasn't good enough and is promising to work with rainbow communities.
Joe Perrone said he and his partner were grabbing something to eat at a takeaway shop at around 4am Sunday when their night turned ugly.
"They thought he [Mr Perrone's partner] pushed in line when I said, 'Can you leave my boyfriend alone?’, more people jumped in. That’s when they said, 'You f*****, you homo, is that your boyfriend?'"
Mr Perrone claimed he and his partner were punched, scratched and put in a chokehold by the alleged attackers – a group of five or six people, mostly women. He says police broke it up, but then refused to walk the couple to safety. Mr Perrone’s partner lives just a few hundred metres away from where the incident happened.
Joe Perrone said police officers refused to escort him and his partner away from crowds of people attacking them. (Source: Other)
Police say they offered to call the couple an Uber or taxi, but Mr Perrone says he never heard such an offer.
“I was grasping and holding onto a policewoman’s arm, begging her to walk us down the street because there were crowds of people still attacking us and she looked me in the eye and said, 'I'm not going to do that,'” he said.
Outgoing Police Commissioner Mike Bush says that’s not good enough.
“I’d like to reinforce that apology, absolutely,” he said.
“Our job is to keep people safe. At the same time I accept the demands on our staff but we would have liked to have seen them home without being harmed.”
The man says he and his partner were punched and threatened but the most troubling thing was the response from police. (Source: Other)
Police have also agreed to have a hui with Mr Perrone and other rainbow groups in Wellington, to discuss what more can be done to protect rainbow communities.
NZ Police scrapped its compulsory gender and sexuality training scheme in 2016, but the commissioner hasn't ruled out ramping up protections for rainbow communities.
“That will be an important part of that hui to ensure that what we do with our recruits and our people is in line with and meets rainbow communities needs.”
Auckland Pride director Max Tweedie says special training for police on how to best work with rainbow communities is a necessity.
“There’s no question that training needs to be re-instated as soon as possible, not just for new recruits but for everyone in the police force.
“Police job is to keep communities safe and that includes our community and the way that they do that simply needs to be improved.”
The incident has again called into question the presence of police at pride parades.
Several rainbow groups excluded themselves from Wellington’s International Pride Parade this year over issues like the inclusion of military and police. All of New Zealand's major banks then pulled out as a result.
In February this year, Auckland Pride celebrations happened in the form of a community march rather than a parade with commercial floats. There was also no police presence in the march. Director Max Tweedie says the event saw 7000 people marching up Queen Street, double the number of the previous year.
“I do think there is a place for police in marches and in parades. I think, though, that place is one that they should earn.
“There are members of the rainbow community who are doing a lot of work inside that institution to make it better and it is getting better significantly, but it's not all the way there yet.”
Mr Perrone says he’s received hundreds of messages of support from strangers all over the world, but he doesn’t want to be seen as a victim.
“I'm not asking for people to sympathise with me. I'm asking everyone to please look after our community.”
He says he’d like to hear from a young woman who held his and his partner's hands as they walked home and hopes all Kiwis can learn something from the incident.
“If you see a queer person walking alone at night, if anyone is showing signs of fear, if you see someone crying, any minority, please, please, please ask them if they are OK.
“Reach your hand out, ask if they would like a hug, ask them if they need a ride, offer to walk them home, tell them they're beautiful, tell them that they are loved.”
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