Gays more prone to domestic abuse: study

A third of gay people questioned said they suffered some form of domestic abuse, says the survey.

Gay people are 60 per cent more likely than heterosexuals to suffer domestic violence at the hands of their partners, a Hong Kong survey said on Thursday.

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Sixteen per cent of gay people are beaten up by their partners, compared with 9.6 per cent of heterosexual people in comparable surveys, the study by a coalition of gay-rights groups found.

A third of gay people questioned said they suffered some form of domestic abuse, with many complaining of verbal abuse and threats, according to the study based on interviews with 236 people.

Among the most common forms of non-physical abuse reported by interviewees were threats to disclose a partner's sexual preferences to parents, friends or employers.

However, social-welfare groups in the city of 6.8 million are not equipped to deal with gay people suffering from abuse and ignored appeals for help from victims, the coalition complained.

Homosexuality remains largely taboo in the conservative former British colony, and many gay men and lesbians keep their sexual orientation secret.