Police in Gloucester, Massachusetts, are seeking charges against three teenagers who allegedly assaulted a 16-year-old transgender boy, Jayden Tkaczyk, and used anti-LGBTQ+ slurs during the attack. According to police, the incident occurred on August 30 during a party in the woods, where the victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries.
The alleged assailants, two 17-year-olds and one 16-year-old, will attend a hearing to determine whether there is probable cause for the charges. The police department’s investigation did not support hate crime charges, but the victim’s family and their lawyer are hoping that this decision will be reviewed.
Tkaczyk suffered lacerations, contusions, and serious nervous damage during the assault, which his lawyer described as a “severe beating.” He had previously experienced bullying at school, which his lawyer calls a contributing factor to the attack.
Tkaczyk’s mother is pushing for hate crime charges, citing the anti-LGBTQ+ slurs used during the attack. “I don’t know how anyone can justify that and say that’s not a hate crime,” she said. The victim also expressed his experiences, saying that the attackers were “chasing me into the woods and saying that same thing, because they were calling me that slur, and they were calling me worse slurs.”
The case has drawn support from local leaders and activists, including Senator Ed Markey, who denounced the attack, stating that there should be no place for violence against trans children. Hope Watt-Bucci, president of North Shore Pride, said that the incident is part of a growing trend of hate crimes in Massachusetts, with a significant increase in hate crimes motivated by gender identity in 2022.