The Gloucester Police are moving forward with charges against three teenagers in connection with an assault on a transgender teen that occurred on August 30. The three suspects, two 17-year-olds and one 16-year-old, are scheduled for a Clerk Magistrate hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to proceed with assault and battery charges. The incident took place near Dogtown Road, according to NBC Boston.
The victim, Jayden Tkaczyk, has recounted enduring bullying for years and described the assault as a physically harrowing experience, wherein he was allegedly stomped on and punched in the face. Following the attack, the Gloucester Police Department assigned a detective "trained in civil rights investigations" to lead the case, and there was a discussion on whether the incident qualified as a hate crime. However, officials said that the evidence did not ultimately support hate crime charges. "Our department conducted a meticulous, thorough, and compassionate investigation, and the resulting charges are consistent with the evidence," said Chief Edward Conley, as reported by WCVB.
Jayden Tkaczyk's parent, Jasmine Tkaczyk, shared details of the assault, saying, "Jayden told me as they were stomping on his face they were using the F slur, so I don't know how anyone can justify that and say that's not a hate crime." Jayden also described being chased into the woods, where the attackers continued to use the same slur along with other insults: "Especially chasing me into the woods and saying that same thing, because they were calling me that slur, and they were calling me worse slurs." A hate crime investigator was assigned to the case, and authorities consulted with the Essex District Attorney's Office and a state police detective. However, the investigation concluded that a hate crime charge was not applicable. "Our thoughts remain with the victim, who suffered significant injuries in this attack," said Chief Conley, as stated by WCVB.
