An ABC News Australia investigation has uncovered a disturbing pattern of violent attack cases involving gay and bisexual teenagers in Sydney, with victims allegedly lured through dating apps before being assaulted by groups linked to extremist ideology.
According to the investigation, these attacks occurred in the years leading up to the Bondi Beach massacre and involved young people influenced by Islamic State (IS) propaganda. LGBTQIA+ Australians, particularly teenagers, were among the earliest victims in what analysts describe as a re-emerging pattern of extremist violence.
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Teenagers Lured and Assaulted on Camera
ABC News Australia obtained videos, court records, and victim testimonies documenting multiple attacks on gay and bisexual boys across Sydney. In the footage, teenagers are seen being lured to public locations, surrounded by groups of attackers, and violently beaten while the assaults are recorded on mobile phones.
In one case, a 16-year-old boy was attacked in Strathfield Park, dragged to the ground, and repeatedly stomped on as an attacker filmed the assault. In another recording, a teenage boy was forced into a public toilet and punched repeatedly while being verbally abused with slurs, including homophobic insults and religious epithets. Blood can be seen running down his face as he pleads for the violence to stop.
A third video shows a young person lying on grass while shielding his face as attackers kick him and shout extremist slogans associated with Islamic State. One attacker threatens the victim before the recording abruptly ends.
These recordings were later played in court proceedings or circulated in private chat groups and were obtained by the ABC through court files, victims, and members of the public.
Links to Extremist Networks
The investigation found the attackers were connected to the same extremist network linked to Naveed Akram and Sajid Akram, the father and son responsible for the December Bondi Beach attack that killed 15 people.
Several of the teenagers convicted over the bashings were associated with a radical prayer hall in Bankstown known as Al Madina Dawah Centre. The centre was ordered to close following the Bondi shooting.
Police evidence also linked members of the group to two prominent pro-IS figures in Australia: spiritual leader Wisam Haddad and alleged youth recruiter Wassim Fayad.
To date, five teenagers have been convicted in connection with the Sydney attacks.
A Broader Pattern of Attacks Across Australia
ABC News Australia reports that the Sydney incidents form part of a wider pattern of violence targeting LGBTQIA+ people nationwide. Since 2023, dozens of attacks have been recorded across multiple states, often involving victims being lured through dating apps and assaulted on camera.
Figures obtained by the investigator show that at least 64 people have been charged in New South Wales and Victoria alone over app-based attacks on LGBTQIA+ individuals. Similar incidents have also been reported in the ACT, Queensland, and Western Australia, though police say many attacks are never reported.
Victoria Police told the investigator that, in that state, no confirmed links have been established between such attacks and terrorist organisations or neo-Nazi groups. However, analysts warn that LGBTQIA+ Australians remain among the most vulnerable groups when it comes to ideologically motivated violence.
Questions About Prevention and Ongoing Risk
The revelations raise serious questions about whether the threat posed by extremist violence was underestimated in the lead-up to the Bondi attack, and whether warning signs were missed.
Experts warn that gay and bisexual teenagers, particularly those seeking connection online, are at heightened risk of being targeted by radicalised individuals. The combination of online grooming, extremist ideology, and filmed violence has created what investigators describe as a dangerous and recurring pattern.
While arrests and convictions have taken place, advocates argue that stronger protections, better monitoring of extremist recruitment, and increased support for LGBTQIA+ youth are urgently needed.
As the investigation makes clear, the Bondi attack did not emerge in isolation. For many LGBTQIA+ Australians, especially young people, the violence had already begun — quietly, repeatedly, and often out of public view.
REFERENCE: ABC News Australia