(Belfast, N. Ireland) An investigation has begun into the way Belfast police reacted to the beating of a gay man on a city street.

Ten men attacked Kristian Markus, 26, and a friend shortly after they left a gay club. As the pair were being beaten their assailants hurled homophobic comments at them before disappearing into the night.

Bloodied and bruised Markus called police for help while his friend chased after two of the attackers who had stolen his wallet.

But when police arrived on the scene they refused to take Markus' complaint seriously.

Although he identified some of the gang by their clothes, Markus, ad advertising agency manager, claims that officers told him it was not strong enough to make arrests.

Then he discovered that only a couple of blocks away his friend had been detained by police who accused him of brawling.

Markus said he went to the police station to set the record straight and encountered abuse from officers.

"Their attitude was just piss off and go home." Markus said.

As he waited to see his friend, he asked police officers to take a picture of his bruised and bloodied face as a record.

"They refused, saying it was not serious enough," he claims.

"I asked one of them if it would take a dead body to be considered serious enough and he said yes it would."

The exchange prompted another officer to suggest Markus was verbally abusing the officer and cautioned that he could be charged.

The attack and subsequent abuse came only a week after assistant chief constable Judith Gillespie pledged a crackdown on homophobic attacks. Gay bashings have nearly doubled over the past two years in Northern Ireland.

http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/05/053104ireBash.htm

Thats fucked up.

What is serious enough when the next guy these thugs beat senseless ends up dead?

Regards,

Lee