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

LGBTQ+ support service says men from countries where homosexuality is illegal are targeted for attacks via dating apps

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International students from countries where homosexuality is illegal are being lured into meetings via gay dating apps before being assaulted and extorted with threats of being outed, a Victorian inquiry into hate crimes has heard.

Since June 2024, police identified 95 attacks targeting gay and bisexual men across Victoria, resulting in 42 arrests, Thorne Harbour Health’s chief executive, Chad Hughes, told a hate crimes inquiry on Wednesday.