Charlie Graham, 20, had been on her way to meet a friend in Sunderland when she was attacked from behind (Picture: Facebook/Charlie Graham)

A woman was left shaken and covered in blood after being punched to the ground by complete strangers hurling homophobic abuse.

Charlie Graham, 20, was on her way to meet a friend in Sunderland in the early hours of Saturday morning when she was attacked from behind.

She said two men pushed her to the ground before running off, leaving her with panic attacks and too nervous to leave the house.

It’s not the first time she has been attacked and believes it will happen again because of her sexuality.


She told the Daily Star she has had to accept homophobia ‘as a fact of life’.



Charlie said: ‘I have panic attacks and anxiety attacks just thinking about going home in case they find out where I live and decide to come through the door, or I get attacked in my own home.

‘I have had people threatening to come through my door and smash the windows in.’

Charlie was left suffering panic attacks and says she is too nervous to leave the house (Picture: Facebook/Charlie Graham)

She was pushed to the ground repeatedly when she tried to get up (Picture: Facebook/Charlie Graham)

Detectives have since confirmed they are treating the incident as a hate crime.

Charlie, who said she ‘acts like a boy’, said: ‘I do worry if it happens again that it is worse than it was before.

‘It did scare me, but I thought “it’s just one of those things, it’s happened again”. What am I supposed to do about it?

‘It happens everywhere. It’s my bad luck’.

Friend Natalie Singh, who helped Charlie after the assault, said she was ‘dazed and her eyes were rolling into the back of her head’.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: ‘We can confirm we are investigating a report of an assault on Blackwood Road in the Town End Farm area of Sunderland at about 12.50am on Saturday morning.

Charlie said it is not the first time she has been attacked (Picture: Facebook/Charlie Graham)

‘It was reported that a 20-year-old woman was walking home when she was subjected to homophobic abuse and assaulted by two males.

‘She was not seriously injured during the incident but was very shaken up by the attack.

‘Enquiries to identify those responsible is ongoing but this is being treated as a hate crime by police.’

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting log 46 11/01/20.

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