Transgender teen attacked in Witham
1 April 2019, 08:41 | Updated: 1 April 2019, 08:45
A transgender teenager has been attacked in Witham.
Essex Police said the victim was approached by teenagers on a footpath near to Ness Walk at around 3.50pm on Saturday - the eve of the annual Trans Day of Visibility.
The group verbally abused the teenager, before one of the boys cut the victim's face.
The victim managed to get to safety and despite a thorough search of the area, there was no trace of the teenagers or the weapon.
Police said the victim was taken to hospital for treatment.
Superintendent Tom Simons said: "We will not tolerate hateful incidents like this in Essex and I would like to commend the victim for reporting this traumatic incident.
"My officers are working diligently to try and identify those responsible for this attack.
"We are looking to speak to three teenage boys, aged between 14 and 15, who were in Spa Road Recreation Ground with a push bike from around 3.50pm to 4.15pm.
"One was white and had black hair. He was around 5ft 6ins tall and had a significant amount of acne on his face. He wore a black hooded top with a white or yellow top underneath it.
"We believe they left the Recreation Ground and walked up Spa Road, in the direction of the Co-op shortly after 4.15pm.
"If you have information about this incident please call Braintree police station on 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/50122/19.
"You can remain anonymous by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
"If you have been a victim of hate crime, I would encourage you to report it to us. You can call us on 101 or 999 in an emergency, or visit one of our Hate Incident Reporting Centres across the county."
