THE HAGUE, 05/07/07 - Gay rights organisation COC wants people convicted for assaulting homosexuals banned from entering areas that are known to be frequented by gays.

The Amsterdam police said yesterday that four reports of assault had been received from homosexuals during the past week. Until then, only six reports had been received this year.

COC appealed in the past week for violent incidents to be reported to the police more often after six immigrants beat up two gay men in Amsterdam last Thursday. Five of the six suspects have meanwhile been released from pre-trial custody. They are aged between 15 and 19.

Four of the suspects are Moroccan. Moroccans in particular sometimes go deliberately looking for gays in order to attack them, according to COC chairman Frank van Dalen.

COC has asked Harm Brouwer, the chief of the Public Prosecutors' Office (OM), to ensure that convicted offenders are given court orders to stay out of certain zones such as the Reguliersdwarsstraat in Amsterdam. This is the capital's 'gay street'.