For Immediate Release April 7, 2003 Says Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project Says case underscores troubling number of youthful bias offenders
New York –
Today representatives from the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP) called for the NYPD to classify and investigate an anti-gay incident this weekend as a hate crime.
Daniel Jamile and Nkrumah Ajomajberin, both 17 years of age, were arrested shortly after they allegedly approached three men on a westbound shuttle from Grand Central around midnight. The suspects, who were videotaping inside the subway car, grabbed a New Jersey man and threatened to burn him with a lighter while yelling anti-gay slurs, such as "You faggots got to burn," at him and his two friends.
Jamile allegedly was running the camera while Ajomajberin flicked the lighter, according to the police. When the train pulled into the Times Square stop, the suspects got off the train. The victims were not injured and were able to wave down transit police at the Times Square station who arrested the suspects and charged them with a variety of offenses including menacing, obstructing government administration and resisting arrest, reported an NYPD spokesperson. The same spokesperson indicated that bias charges for the suspects were only a possibility at this time.
"Clearly, the only motivation for the perpetrators of this incident was to intimidate a gay person and we expect the NYPD to proceed accordingly," said Basil Lucas, the Senior Counselor-Advocate for AVP's Bias and Hate Crimes Program. "We'll certainly be monitoring this case to ensure that it's not only effectively investigated, but properly classified," continued Lucas. "Historically, we've come to loggerheads with the NYPD over appropriate classification of anti-gay incidents, but have recently seen good progress in this area – we expect that progress to continue," concluded Lucas.
"Unfortunately, this case also exemplifies the out-sized participation of young people in committing hate-motivated acts," said Richard Haymes, AVP's Executive Director. "People aged 22 and under, comprise one out five perpetrators of anti-gay incidents in New York, and 18 and under make up 14% of perpetrators," said Haymes. "While we passed a hate crimes law in New York State, at present, all that allows us to do is to send people to jail for longer periods of time, and then, only if the police and prosecutors apply the law to these incidents. What we really need to do is make a commitment to help our young people unlearn this hate so the "rite of passage" of gay-bashing becomes socially unacceptable, Additionally, we must come up with alternatives for justice beyond more prison time for those that do commit these types of crimes – particularly young offenders," concluded Haymes.
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