Melania Geymonat and Partner Beaten on London Bus: Homophobic Attack Sparks Outrage

By YEET Magazine Staff, YEET Magazine
Updated November 24, 2025

Keywords: homophobic bus attack London, Melania Geymonat, lesbian couple assaulted on bus, London N31 hate crime, LGBT hate crime London 2019, public transport hate crime UK

On a London night bus in May 2019, Melania Geymonat and her partner were attacked by a group of young men who demanded they kiss. They were left bloodied. This is their story — and what happened next.

In May 2019, in London, England, Melania Geymonat, a 28‑year-old woman from Uruguay, and her American partner Chris (Christine Hannigan) were on a date night when a disturbing incident transformed their journey home into a violent hate crime.

What happened on the bus

Melania and Chris were riding the N31 night bus in north London, on the top deck, heading toward Camden. That’s when a group of four to five teenage boys got on. According to Melania’s own account on Facebook and media reports, the situation quickly escalated. euronews+2The Guardian+2

What began with obscene, homophobic comments turned into something much worse: the teens demanded the couple kiss, apparently “so they could enjoy watching.” The Guardian They shouted slurs, described sexual positions, made lewd hand gestures, and even threw coins at them. euronews

When Melania tried to defuse things with jokes, it failed. Chris pretended she was sick — but the harassers persisted. The Independent+2The Guardian+2

Violence erupted. Chris was physically attacked first; Melania rushed to help, only to find her bleeding and then got punched herself. euronews They later learned Chris had a broken jaw, while Melania suffered facial trauma and possibly a broken nose. The Guardian+1 The attackers also stole objects — a phone and a bag. The Guardian+1

Aftermath and response

The Metropolitan Police treated the assault as an aggravated hate crime. Deutsche Welle+1 Four teenage boys, aged between 15 and 17, were later charged with robbery and grievous bodily harm. Sky News

One of the teens, aged 16, had his sentence increased because of the homophobic motivation behind the attack. The Guardian Another, aged 15, was ordered to attend diversity sessions after being convicted for using homophobic slurs and threatening behavior. The Guardian

What Melania and Chris said

In interviews and on social media, Melania and Chris declined to be silenced. Melania described the gang’s behavior as “chauvinist, misogynistic and homophobic violence.” euronews She later said the attack had changed her — not to hide, but to fight more for visibility and activism. The Guardian

Chris (Christine) added that she didn’t want fear to stop her from showing affection in public. The Guardian In a later op‑ed, she also criticized how her image — battered and bleeding — became “cheap clickbait” in media coverage, calling for deeper attention to hate crimes beyond sensational headlines. TIME

Why this matters

• Intersection of hate and misogyny: According to Melania, the violence was not just about homophobia — it also had a misogynistic dimension because they’re two women together. The Guardian
• Rise in reported hate crimes: The attack came amid broader concern over rising hate crimes in the UK. The Guardian
• Public accountability: London’s mayor at the time, Sadiq Khan, condemned the incident, calling it “disgusting, misogynistic attack.” euronews
• Justice system’s handling: The court acknowledged the homophobic trigger in sentencing, but activists argued more must be done to deter this kind of violence. The Guardian+1

What you can do now

• Support LGBT+ organisations working on hate crime prevention and victim support.
• Report hate crime if you witness or experience it: in the UK, you can call the police or use third-party reporting centres.
• Educate others about the reality of public‑space harassment: speak out when you see homophobia or hate.
• Push for better training for public transport staff, so they can respond to hate incidents more effectively.

🔍 Related Questions

What happened to Melania Geymonat on a London bus?

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