AMSTERDAM, 22/11/08 - In Amsterdam, there were at least 250 and possibly more than 1000 cases of assault on homosexuals last year. Two out of three perpetrators came from immigrant backgrounds, researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) concluded in a study of anti-gay violence in Amsterdam.

There were 67 reports of physical violence against homosexuals in Amsterdam last year. The researchers claim, however, that the actual figure is much higher, because 75 to 95 percent of the victims do not go to the police.

White Dutch people are responsible for 36 percent of the violent incidents in Amsterdam. Moroccans, who form 16 percent of the population of the capital city, are also responsible for 36 percent. The other 28 percent of the attacks were committed by people from other ethnic backgrounds.

The researchers explained the over-representation of Moroccans by the fact that they frequently hang about the streets. Religious motives played practically no role in anti-gay violence, they claimed.

The UvA researchers spoke to perpetrators, sent questionnaires to school students and studied police files. One of the researchers was beaten up himself during the project because he is homosexual.

"It is a serious problem and more extensive than we had thought," Home Affairs Minister Guusje ter Horst said in reaction to the report during a debate in the Lower House. "Homophobic violence is very serious and must be completely eradicated."

The Home Affairs Ministry and Justice Ministry announced on Monday that the police had received 150 reports of violence against homosexuals throughout the country in the first half of this year. In 14 percent of these cases, the victim stated explicitly that the perpetrator was from an ethnic group. In the other cases, the ethnicity was not registered or the victim indicated that the perpetrator was white.