ANOTHER ‘GAY PANIC’ DEFENCE ACCEPTED

Another man, Joseph Biedermann, has been acquitted of a first degree murder charge due to the legal “gay panic” defence.

This argument is used in cases where the defendant claims that he acted in a state of violent temporary insanity caused by unwanted homosexual advances.

Biedermann killed Terrance Michael Hauser early on March 5 2008, in a Chicago apartment complex where they both lived in separate units. Police recovered a 7-inch dagger from the scene after Biedermann’s arrest.

Biedermann claimed that Hauser threatened him with a sword in order to sexually assault him, which forced him to use the dagger to defend himself by stabbing Hauser 61 times. According to a published report, both men were drunk.

A similar incident occurred in New Zealand, where Hungarian tourist Ferdinand Ambach was found guilty of a charge of manslaughter despite brutally killing another man who he claims made sexual advances on him.