Two gay men were violently beaten after being lured to an address through a gay dating app. (Envato Elements)
A gay man was brutally beaten by thugs with baseball bats after he was lured to an address through a queer dating app.
The man, who is in his 50s, told local media that he spent four days in hospital following the attack, which left him with a broken jaw and a fractured skull.
A second gay man in his 40s was lured to the same address and was also assaulted on a separate occasion, Western Australia’s police force said in a statement.
“Armadale Detectives are investigating two serious assaults that are linked to the use of an online messaging application,” police said in a statement on Friday (2 April).
Police confirmed that both victims started talking to the same user on the gay dating app and arranged to meet at an address on Margaret Street in Armadale.
One of the incidents occurred around 1am on 22 March, while the second took place at 3am on 29 March.
On both occasions, there were a group of men waiting at the address. They proceeded to violently assault the victims.
Police urge public to be ‘vigilant’ on gay dating apps
The man in his 50s said the attackers told him: “We’re going to teach you a lesson” before beating him with baseball bats.
Police in Western Australia are appealing to the public for information in the hope that they can track down the attackers.
Detectives would like to remind the public it is important to be vigilant when it comes to personal safety and the risks associated with meeting strangers in isolated areas after engaging with them.
Anybody with information, or any members of the public who might have dash cam footage of the street, is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestopperswa.com.au.
“Detectives would like to remind the public it is important to be vigilant when it comes to personal safety and the risks associated with meeting strangers in isolated areas after engaging with them,” Western Police said in a statement.
They urged anybody who has been a victim of a similar attack in the area to come forward and report the crime to police.