The murder of a psychiatrist is "a reminder of the hatred faced by communities"
Date: 2023-09-05 Author: Karina Ziganova Categories: NEWS 18+
The homophobic murder of a father of two in a Cardiff park is a reminder of the hatred the gay community faces for "just existing," the gay rights charity said.
Stonewall Cymru said more needed to be done to combat homophobia and expressed concern over comments made by the prosecution during the week-long trial at Merthyr Crown Court.
Dr. Gary Jenkins, a respected consultant psychiatrist, was attacked by three people in Bute Park in the early hours of July 20
His injuries, including multiple head fractures, were so severe that he died 16 days later in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the University Hospital of Wales.
Three people, Jason Edwards, 25, Lee Strickland, 36, and Dionne Timms-Williams, 17, were convicted of his murder.
Dionne Timms-Williams, 17, found guilty (SW/PA Police) (PA Media)
Dr Jenkins, who has worked at the Pendine Centre, Cowbridge Road West since returning to Cardiff after being separated from his wife, was bisexual and his friends and colleagues knew he went to the park in the city center at night to engage in consensual sex with other men.
The prosecution stated that the attack on Dr. Jenkins was "motivated by greed, homophobia and an outright love of violence" and that the three defendants were "looking for vulnerable gay men who were in the park for sex" to rob.
Among the evidence was a 15-minute audio recording of the attack, in which three attackers can be heard shouting homophobic slurs at Dr. Jenkins while they punch and kick him.
In an interview with police, Edwards called Bute Park a "dirty park" due to his knowledge that some men congregate there for sex.
However, some of the remarks made by prosecutor Dafyd Enoch drew public criticism.
During his opening speech, Mr. Enoch told the jury, “[Dr. Jenkins'] sexual addictions will be his undoing.
“By engaging in this activity he made himself hopelessly vulnerable and he was an easy target as he roamed Butte Park.
"By its very nature, the activities he engaged in were risky."
He later said that Dr. Jenkins was loved despite his "lifestyle".
Some say comments are tantamount to "blaming the victim."
Welsh Education Minister Jeremy Miles tweeted: "He was not 'destroyed' by his 'sexual inclinations'. He was brutally attacked and died. We have a long way to go."
Singer-songwriter Bronwen Lewis wrote: “I emailed Dafyd Enoch about his blatant homophobia and victim blaming during this trial.
“It was so hard to read. Love for Dr. Jenkins' family, can't imagine their pain."
In his closing argument, Mr. Enoch touched on some of the issues raised on social media and said: “Let me say a few words in passing about the concept of blaming the victim.
“Gary Jenkins is in no way responsible for what happened to him.
And he said that friends and colleagues of Dr. Jenkins learned of his habit of visiting Bute Park at night in search of like-minded people.
“He said his friends are very concerned about this.
“The accusation simply points to the fact that Dr. Jenkins was indeed vulnerable in this park.
“But we are clear that he is not responsible for being a victim.
“Three people are responsible and they are these defendants.
"They took advantage of his vulnerability to launch an unreasonably violent and homophobic attack."
He added: "I still try to remind you how highly regarded Dr. Jenkins was as a person and professional at all levels."
In a statement following the sentencing, Yestin Win, Campaigns, Policy and Research Manager at Stonewall Cymru, said: “Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and homosexuals should be able to live their lives without fear and restrictions, but the tragic death of Dr Jenkins is a reminder of the hatred our communities face for simply existing.
“Remarks made during the trial have further undermined our communities’ trust in our justice system, where four out of five (81%) LGBTQ+ people no longer report hate incidents to the police.
“As people across the UK mourn the heartbreaking loss of Dr Jenkins, the government must take urgent action to challenge anti-LGBTQ+ views and ensure the safety and freedom of all our communities.”
A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: “The only people responsible for this horrific crime were those who were convicted by the jury today. The suggestion that Dr. Jenkins was somehow at fault is completely wrong.
“We apologize for the inappropriate and tactless remarks made during the opening statement".
