GLOUCESTER, Mass. — Following a monthslong investigation, authorities are seeking charges against three teens accused of assaulting a transgender boy at a party in August.
Chief Edward Conley says his department has filed criminal complaints for assault and battery charges against two 17-year-old males and a 16-year-old male in connection to the attack.
On August 30, officers responding to the woods in the area of Dogtown Road for a report of an assault during a party found a 16-year-old victim who had been injured, according to officials. The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment. Police determined that all parties involved knew each other.
“One second, I was having fun. The next minute, I was on the ground getting my face stomped and beat,” the victim said in a previous interview, claiming that the attack caused fractures and nerve damage.
The victim told Boston 25 News he believes he was attacked for being transgender.
Due to those allegations, Gloucester Police say they assigned a specially trained hate crime investigator to the case. Evidence gathered as part of the investigation did not warrant hate crime charges, according to police.
“Our department conducted a meticulous, thorough, and compassionate investigation, and the resulting charges are consistent with the evidence,” Chief Conley said. “Our thoughts remain with the victim, who suffered significant injuries in this attack.”
The three juvenile suspects will face a Clerk Magistrate hearing, where the Clerk Magistrate will determine whether or not to move forward on the charges.
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