Deaf woman punched in face and strangled with her own tie by homophobic attacker in south London

Helena Martins fought off the man after he attacked her a few yards form her home in Tooting
Attacked: Helena Martins was left with a swollen neck
Facebook/Helena Martins
Rachel Blundy11 December 2015
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A deaf woman has told how she was punched in the face and strangled with her own tie by a homophobic attacker just a few yards from her home in south London.

Helena Martins, 43, who lost her hearing five years ago to Ménière's disease, was cornered by the man as she walked home through Tooting last night.

Moments before, she had removed her cochlea implant, which she relies on to hear, as she approached her house.

The man hit her in the eye and choked her with her polka dot tie, which she believes marked her out as gay, and her implant dropped on the floor.

Scratches: Mrs Martins fought with her attacker
Facebook/Helena Martins

As she fought to protect herself, the man scratched her across her face and levelled more blows at her head.

Mrs Martins, who is trained in taekwondo, eventually managed to kick him in the crotch, prompting him to run away, before she picked up her implant and rushed into her house, where she lives with her wife of three years.

I don't think I'll be rocking a tie in the near future. Today, one street away from my home, I was assaulted by a man...

Posted by Helena Martins on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

She was today recovering from a swollen eye, as well as cuts and bruises to her face.

Commenting on her ordeal, Mrs Martins, who moved to London from Portugal just over 12 years ago, told the Standard: "I am very shaken. I have no doubt that I was targeted because I was a woman wearing a tie. He was quite fixated on the tie. I am not butch but I wear masculine attire."

"And because of my disease, I suffer from vertigo, so I do not walk straight. I might look like I'm drunk when I'm not - so maybe I was seen as an easy target."

She continued: "London is very different to how it was when I arrived in 1998. I think it is getting intolerant towards people who are different. But I still love it and I love British people."

Describing the terrifying attack, said: "I was on my way home after work I was just one street away from my home.

"As I took out my implant, a man came towards me. He threw his hands up. He reached for my tie. He pulled me towards him.

"I tried to stop him. He scratched me on my face and punched me in the eye. After I kicked him, he went off very quickly.

We are all human beings. We should not judge each other. We should live our lives freely

&#13; <p>Helena Martins</p>&#13;

"It was like a flash. I ran inside. I was in shock - I just wanted to be left alone."

The charity worker, who is the head of digital engagement for the National Deaf Children's Society, shared photographs of her injuries on Facebook.

Bruised: Mrs Martins
Facebook/Helena Martins

She said the reaction from friends had been "overwhelming".

She said: "I have scratches across my face and red marks on my neck. This is a way of letting people know that hate crime and homophobia is still very much alive."

She described her attacker as late 20s to early 30s, with facial hair, dark hair and eyes.

He was wearing a grey jacket and a grey wool sweater with dark jeans.

Incredibly, when asked how she felt about him she said she wished him “no harm.”

She said: “We are all human beings. We should not judge each other. We should live our lives freely."

A Stonewall spokeswoman said the attack highlighted that LGBT people still faced prejudice on a daily basis.

She said: "It is crucial that people report hate crimes they witness or that they are a victim of, even if they are unsure if it is a crime.

"Reporting helps prevent further incidents in the future.

"Attacks like this and recent crime figures show that lesbian, gay, bi and trans people still face high levels of hate crime.

"There is still a lot for us to do before we can say that truly everyone is accepted without exception."

Police are investigating the attack, which happened at about 5pm on December 9. No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information can contact police on 101.

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