A gay man says he won’t return to Queensland after he claims he and his brother were brutally bashed at a Gold Coast shopping centre.

The victim, named Joshua, told the Gold Coast Bulletin he was up from Melbourne visiting family when he and his 16-year-old brother were targeted by teenage thugs at Coomera Westfield on Tuesday.

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Joshua said the teenagers “hunted” down he and his brother after earlier in the day a group of them yelled homophobic slurs and attacked the pair on a bus.

He said the attackers called he and his brother “f–king faggots” and “gay c–ts”.

Later that afternoon, the pair were at lunch at the Westfield when a group of about 10 teenagers attacked them again.

Joshua said some members of that group were present during the morning attack. He suffered broken ribs and a swollen face after the attack. His younger brother suffered fractured ribs, a swollen eye and split lip.

On Wednesday night, police charged two teenagers from Upper Coomera in relation to the incident.

Police charged a 15-year-old and 18-year-old with assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed/in company.

A police spokesperson said Gold Coast detectives are still searching for other teenagers involved in the assault.

Bashing victim says he ‘can’t go back’ to the Gold Coast

Joshua told the Gold Coast Bulletin the attacks had left both of them shaken. He said the violent crime proved that homophobia remains on the Gold Coast and Queensland.

“It’s just horrible. It’s cruel,” he said.

“It was completely unwarranted, it’s just brutal violence. It’s a hate crime.

“I feel like I can’t go back to Queensland [anymore]. It’s shaken me.

“I feel like me being gay, that I have put [my brother] in danger. It wasn’t once but twice. I have a lot of guilt.”

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Joshua claimed they had spotted the group of teenagers looking around the area as if “hunting” someone, before approaching Joshua and his brother.

The thugs only stopped the attack when a security guard rushed over, Joshua said.

“They were bloodthirsty… The first time was very traumatic but the second time they hunted us down,” he said.

“We didn’t even get the chance to stand up from the table and defend ourselves.

“They kept stomping on us. It was relentless.”

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