Uni of Birmingham student punched in homophobic attack after leaving LGBTQ+ nightclub

Warning: Homophobia and images of blood 

A Birmingham student was left with a head injury after a homophobic attack outside an LGBTQ+ nightclub last weekend.

Harry Batt, a UoB Biomedical Science student currently on his placement year in London, was waiting at a bus stop after leaving Heaven nightclub in London in the early hours of Saturday 12th February when he was attacked.

He was taken to hospital for his injuries where his wound was cleaned and closed. He has now opened a Police investigation.

After waiting at the bus stop with his friend, they were approached by a woman who called Harry a “batty boy” and other homophobic remarks. Harry told The Birmingham Tab that “her friend pulled her away from me but she came back and grabbed me and started punching me in the head.”

“She did it about four times and must have caught me with her ring or something to cause the wound.”

Harry says the woman’s friend then intervened, and they both ran away from the scene.

Harry and his friend Abbie, who was with him at the time of the attack

Harry rang 999 and was passed on to the British Transport Police who then referred the matter to the Met Police. The incident is currently under investigation.

Harry told The Birmingham Tab that he is “very shaken up by what happened, but at the same time it could have happened to anyone and unfortunately happened to me.”

The injury Harry sustained

“It’s sad because she clearly chose to target people at a time that they would be coming out of what is a very well known gay nightclub. I feel very lucky that whilst what happened was bad, I could’ve been injured worse.”

Looking back on the attack Harry told The Birmingham Tab that “it’s not something that anyone from our community should have to put up with, or even contemplate might happen to them on what should be a fun night out, and in a safe space.”

The Met Police said: “Detectives from the Met’s hate crime unit are aware of an attack involving a 21-year-old man in the early hours of Saturday, 12 February. The incident happened outside Charing Cross railway station, with police called by the London Ambulance Service at 03:33hrs. The Met is liaising with colleagues from British Transport Police who initially attended the incident, and enquiries including a review of local CCTV are underway.

“Anyone with information about the incident or which could help locate the suspect is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 1136/12Feb. You can also contact Crimestoppers 100 per cent anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

The Tab’s Pride reporting series is putting a focus on highlighting LGBTQ+ issues and celebrating queer voices across UK campuses.

If you or someone you know has been affected by this story you can contact Switchboard, the LGBTQ+ helpline, on 0300 330 0630 or visit their website. You can also find help through young people’s charity The Mix, and Galop, the LGBTQ+ anti-violence charity. 

If you’ve got a story you’d like to tell us – whether it’s an incident of homophobia on campus, an experience you’d like to share, or anything you think we should hear, get in touch in confidence by emailing [email protected]

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• 21-year-old man claims bouncer assaulted him at Warwick nightclub in ‘homophobic’ attack

• ‘I felt excluded from the LGBTQ+ community’: Young bi people on the impact of biphobia

• ‘University became my safe space’: Five LGBTQ+ young people on coming out whilst at uni