(verbal) Assault just now in Peckham Rye Park

[Lee Scoresby]

My wife has just been very seriously abused by a pair of men walking their dog.

She was walking our own dogs in Peckham Rye Park.

Another dog - not ours - got into a slight barking tiff with their dog. They then proceeded to yell at my wife and her friend, using misogynistic obscentities - "fat b**ch", etc etc. Also to shriek at one of our dogs to the point of animal cruelty. My wife, her friend and her dogs have returned home traumatised.

In short, it was a form of assault in broad daylight.

The couple is evidently gay. One is English, with extreme 'anger issues' (no excuse), the other maybe Thai. Their dog is a white German Shepherd.

So, message to other dog walkers and owners: BEWARE THESE TWO. NASTY NASTY NASTY pair.

They really do need to get seriously pulled up on this. Not to get away with it, as if it was normal or acceptable. (Despite the endless BS and total neglect of Southwark parks management) the Rye and Park has an almost entirely lovely, friendly community of dog people. Please spread the word - these two need stopping, soon - - -

Lee Scoresby

[IlonaM]

How horrible. I hope that your wife, her friend and the dogs are feeling better soon. Have you reported the incident? Sounds like the pair are another serious incident waiting to happen.

[ollieloudon]

At least your gaydar was working

[Lee Scoresby]

To whom should I report this?

Met policing has largely disappeared from whole areas of daily life.

Southwark parks management don't give a toss about dogs and dog owners - quite the reverse.

Naturally the lycra-stormtroopers, so keen to dish out fines to dog owners, are nowhere to be seen.

I'm trying to use community awareness and solidarity. As I said, the dog community in PRP is incredibly strong and close.

I do resent and reject any idea that this response was homophobic. How utterly-utterly irrelevant. If one of them had red hair, say, I would have said so. That would hardly imply a deep loathing of the red-headed. Gay people can be just as vile and out of order as anyone else - that's what total acceptance looks like, ollieloudon.

LS

[IlonaM]

Hi Lee,

As the incident has passed, I would report it to non-urgent police number (101) or online [https://www.met.police.uk/report/how-to-report-a-crime/]. As you say it was an assault, and also quite possibly a public order offence, and it left your wife and her friend very shaken. If they have behaved like this once, they have probably done it before and may well do it again towards someone less able to cope. Their behaviour might even escalate to a physical assault and battery.

The parks office should take an interest in protecting the users of their parks.

I know it is a pain to do, but you don't have to hang on for the 101 service; you can put a report in on the website.

Once you've reported it, you can return to enjoying this glorious weather!

[ollieloudon]

Being gay isn't a physical trait so it's not like having red hair and isn't relevant even if your wife was correct

[Jules-and-Boo]

it can be way of identifying people and there is nothing in this post that is doing anything apart from that. The whole tone is about protecting people and trying to avoid anyone else having to experience assault.

Stop being so PC Ollie Loudon - it's not that deep.

[JoeLeg]

ollieloudon Wrote:

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> Being gay isn't a physical trait so it's not like

> having red hair and isn't relevant even if your

> wife was correct

To be honest, if my wife had been attacked like this I would have no hesitation in using every possible avenue to identify the assailants. No one is saying they did it *because* they were gay. He?s justifiably furious and isn?t going to hold back in trying to locate them.

There?s a lot more I could say but I don?t want to drag it off-topic. Suffice to say I spent a LOT of time in the London gay community during the mid/late-nineties, and unless certain things have changed massively, I think Lee was justified in mentioning it.

(Anyone who wants challenge me on this is welcome to PM me, I?ll happily back up my position)

[alice]

Attack? Assault? What?s happened to words?

[JoeLeg]

Disclaimer - I?d had quite a lot to drink when I was told this, and I could be wrong, though a quick google seems to support it.

Under English law, ?assault? is the threat of use of force, as distinct from ?battery? which is actually physically attacking someone.

Depending on what they said, those people may well have committed assault - obviously I?m not aware of exactly what was said or threatened.

Regardless, I think by any reasonable definition it can be considered a form of ?attack?, in common parlance.

[IlonaM]

Assault is the apprehension or threat of physical violence, battery is the physical touch/hit/beating etc. If the injury breaks the skin you then get into GBH. Laypeople often use 'assault' for a physical act, rather than the apprehension/threat. In this circumstance assault would describe the verbal abuse and behaviour directed at the OP's wife and her friend. Fortunately it did not escalate to a physical attack, but an assault of this kind would be deeply upsetting coming out of the blue as it did.

[alice]

Bitch is unpleasant but not a threat

[camberwell70]

Verbal assault

[alice]

Without threat no asssault.

Insult.

[camberwell70]

Sounds threatening to me.

[JoeLeg]

alice Wrote:

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> Without threat no asssault.

> Insult.

This is correct, and of course none of us know what was actually said. Whether an assault took place is probably not something we will ever know, though it?s not out of the realm of possibility.

However, I think it can be agreed that this was a vile attack on innocent people, which is to be deplored. ?Attack? is not an incorrect term for this, I feel.

[rendelharris]

Not assault, but under S4 of the Public Order Act there'd certainly be a case for a charge of "Causing fear or provocation of violence" - two men with a dog shouting obscenities at a woman sounds pretty like. Or indeed behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace would be a another option. But not assault though (legally, though obviously it can certainly feel like one when faced with it).

N.B. re the "obviously gay" thing, at the risk of causing annoyance some people are, through behaviour, language, dress etc, fairly obviously gay, aren't they? I must admit I might say "I was having a chat with this gay bloke in a pub" in the same way I might say "I was having a chat with this black guy" or whatever, just an identifier. Certain the OP didn't mean any offence, though given the context perhaps "obviously a couple" would have conveyed the same meaning and not risked upsetting anyone.

[Qiling]

Hi Lee,

Sorry to hear about your wife?s unpleasant experience and hope she is feeling better.

Unfortunately, my partner and I match the description of the gay couple that you mention - apart from the fact that we have a terrier and not a white shepherd.

We don?t want to be negatively stigmatised as a result of your post.

Hopefully the dog walking community will not form a lynch mob every time they now see a mixed race gay couple! :)

[camberwell70]

rendelharris Wrote:

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> Not assault, but under S4 of the Public Order Act

> there'd certainly be a case for a charge of

> "Causing fear or provocation of violence" - two

> men with a dog shouting obscenities at a woman

> sounds pretty like. Or indeed behaviour likely to

> cause a breach of the peace would be a another

> option. But not assault though (legally, though

> obviously it can certainly feel like one when

> faced with it).

>

> N.B. re the "obviously gay" thing, at the risk of

> causing annoyance some people are, through

> behaviour, language, dress etc, fairly obviously

> gay, aren't they? I must admit I might say "I was

> having a chat with this gay bloke in a pub" in the

> same way I might say "I was having a chat with

> this black guy" or whatever, just an identifier.

> Certain the OP didn't mean any offence, though

> given the context perhaps "obviously a couple"

> would have conveyed the same meaning and not

> risked upsetting anyone.

Its nonsense what you are saying.

i thought you were intelligent.

[rendelharris]

camberwell70 Wrote:

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> Its nonsense what you are saying.

>

> i thought you were intelligent.

Jings, nobody I know, including my dear wife, thinks that, but you could say why?

[FrankieT123]

People on here can be very stupid I mean I posted something a wile back about a black boy on a pedal bike robbing old women and everyone said I was racist.

I mean I am white but still if it was a white boy on a pedal bike robbing old people I would have stated it was a white boy robbing old women

It gets so pathetic on here sometimes

If they where gay then they where gay nothing homerphobic about stating that

What?s the world coming to 😔

[camberwell70]

Rendell, who says, ever, I was having a chat with a black guy? I was having a chat with a gay guy?

[tomskip]

Yikes at that homophobic op.

Hopefully your wife will be able to get over the trauma of being verbally abused while dog walking in the park, but the possible sexuality of the person(s) who abused her isn't really worth a mention here.

If you are arguing that other people might recognise them and report them, how likely is that to happen?

"Hello, is that 101? I've just seen a couple who appear to be gay walking their dog in Peckham Rye Park. And I'm reporting them because someone posted on our local forum about a gay couple who verbally abused his wife a few days ago and I just thought I could give you a call and ... "

[JoeLeg]

That OP may well be over the top and very angry, but if you think that was homophobic, then I really have to disagree, personally.

Just to reiterate - Lee?s wife was verbally attacked for no reason whatsoever, and he came on here trying to give as much information as possible. That is perfectly understandable when seen in context. I would?ve done the same thing. Is it possibly ill-judged? Yes. But not homophobic, and frankly understandable. Imagine how any of you would react if your partner came home with a similar tale?

Context, sometimes it matters.

[Louisa]

Homophobic OP? What nonsense.

Someone was verbally abused and the rightfully angry partner of the victim, is offering a description on here to try and warn others about this thuggish behaviour.

Isn?t it odd, that in 2018 people have to immediately take offence at anything. Even something as serious as this. Even though the real victims here are the OP?s partner and friend, some PC fanatics have to look for a reason to take offence at the choice of language, from a obviously upset person, and jump the conclusion of homophobia. It?s just ridiculous beyond words.

Louisa.