Canada: Hate crime unpunished

Lake cowichan: Police don’t consider the incident a hate crime

Mark Edwards says he was beaten up outside the Riverside Inn one Saturday night about two months ago after an evening of playing pool and having a few beers with a friend. He said he suffered a concussion.

Edwards believes it’s a hate crime because of comments such as, “You fag, I’m gonna kill you.”

“That’s definitely a hate crime,” he said. “They were beating me up and threatening to kill me because I’m gay.”

Cst. Roger Nyberg of the Lake Cowichan RCMP said it will be up to crown counsel whether charges are laid against the two men. Until charges are laid, the names of the two men will not be released.