Transgender women attacked with a hammer, suspect claims road rage not hate crime

The suspect in a violent attack on two transgender women in Jaffa on Saturday was released from custody on Sunday after telling the court that the attack was not due to the women's gender orientation but related to an argument on the road, according to Ynet.

The women, 21 and 17, told police that they had been riding a scooter together in Jaffa when a car pulled up next to them. The passenger spat on them and then got out of the car at the next stop light to attack them with a hammer.

The suspect hit them in the hand and chest; the woman stopped the attack by spraying the suspect with pepper spray.

The women said they believed it was a terror attack because they couldn't believe that anyone would hurt them because of their gender identity.

The women said the two men called them gays and Cocksianel [a Hebrew slur for transgender women], followed by a threat to kill them if they ever saw them again.

Road rage

The suspect told the court that "it was not an attack based on gender orientation, but an argument about the use of the road."