Assault charge laid in alleged homophobic beating of Nanaimo student

WARNING: Some readers may find the details and images in this post disturbing. Discretion is advised.

A 19-year-old man has been charged with assault in an alleged off-campus attack on a Nanaimo university student.

Spencer Frey, who used to attend Vancouver Island University, was at a party on Nanaimo’s Old Slope Place on March 27 when the incident happened.

He said someone began hurling homophobic slurs at him within minutes of arriving.

He said he responded to the man then walked away, but things escalated before he could even leave the house.

“Then a short boy taps on my shoulder and then I blacked out,” he said.

2:30 Nanaimo RCMP arrest one person after alleged assault on student

Frey said he was punched in the head and thrown on the ground, where others joined in on the beating, before people were able to break the altercation up.

The attack left him with significant bruising on his face.

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A 19-year-old later turned himself in to police. Court records now indicate Ryan John Seaman has been charged with assault in the case.

Nanaimo RCMP investigated the attack as a possible hate crime, and Frey believes he was attacked for being gay.

“It’s like completely unacceptable and it’s horrible that gay people have to be aware of this at parties just when they’re just trying to have fun just like everybody else,” he said.