Three Teens Face Charges for Assault on Transgender Boy in Massachusetts

Police are seeking assault and battery charges after a 16-year-old was beaten and subjected to slurs at a party, though hate crime charges have not been filed.

• The incident occurred on August 30 in a wooded area in Gloucester, Massachusetts, during a party involving the victim and alleged attackers who knew each other.
• Jayden Tkaczyk, the 16-year-old victim, sustained serious injuries, including a broken facial bone, nerve damage, and multiple bruises, during the attack.
• Tkaczyk reported that he was punched, stomped on, and called anti-LGBTQ slurs during the assault, which he and his family believe was motivated by his transgender identity.
• Despite the involvement of a hate crime investigator, police stated that the evidence did not support hate crime charges, though the victim's family continues to advocate for them.
• Three teenage boys, two aged 17 and one aged 16, are facing assault and battery charges, with a clerk magistrate hearing pending to determine if the case will proceed.

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