Gay students extorted with threat of being ‘outed’ in home countries, Victorian hate crime inquiry hears

International students from countries where homosexuality is illegal are being targeted through gay dating apps, lured into meetings, assaulted, and then extorted with threats of being revealed as gay in their home countries, a Victorian inquiry into hate crimes has been told. Chad Hughes, the chief executive of Thorne Harbour Health, informed the inquiry on Wednesday that since June 2024, Victorian police have identified 95 attacks specifically targeting gay and bisexual men across the state. These incidents have led to 42 arrests. Hughes stated that the perpetrators often use dating apps to identify and contact potential victims, exploiting their vulnerability due to the legal status of homosexuality in their countries of origin. The attacks involve physical assault and the subsequent demand for money or other valuables under the threat of exposing the victims' sexual orientation to their families or communities back home, which could have severe consequences. This practice highlights a specific form of hate crime and exploitation affecting a vulnerable demographic within the international student community in Victoria. The inquiry is examining the prevalence and nature of hate crimes in the state, with this testimony providing a critical insight into a particular modus operandi used against LGBTQ+ individuals.