Female Couple Assaulted in Upper Darby After Alleged Sexual Activity in McDonald’s

Two women who allegedly engaged in sexual activity in the bathroom of an Upper Darby McDonald’s were attacked by an angry mob of customers outside the restaurant after being asked to leave by the staff, with one of the women being hospitalized for stab wounds.

Around 5pm on Friday, customers at the McDonald’s complained to the manager that two women had entered a one person bathroom on the second floor. The manager told police later that they found the women were, “engaged in some type of sexual activity.” The women were asked to leave the restaurant. As they left, they were verbally accosted by several customers. As they exited, a group of at least seven customers followed the women outside in order to assault them.

A woman in her 40s with two children was heard yelling slurs, calling the women “dirty dykes.” Police believe that she instigated the assault. She reportedly stabbed one of the women in the back, who was later taken to Thomas Jefferson Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. As police arrived, the crowd dispersed. Police were able to obtain surveillance footage, but the attackers have yet to be identified.

While intimate sexual activity in public places is not considered acceptable behavior, targeted violence against offenders is not common.

There is no statewide hate crime law in Pennsylvania which protects LGBTQ people who are subject to assault based upon their sexual orientation or gender identity. In 2012, the FBI reported that one in every five hate crimes are based on sexual orientation.

 

Leave a Reply