Minns Flags Tougher Laws After ISIS-Inspired Attacks on Gay Teens

The NSW government is weighing changes to hate crime laws after videos emerged allegedly showing ISIS-inspired attacks on gay and bisexual teenagers in Sydney.

The footage, which shows a young person being attacked by a group of young men allegedly shouting, “Kill him” because he was “gay.”

The video has circulated on social media triggering calls for stronger legal protections.

NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns said the government would explore introducing “massive new penalties” aimed specifically at targeting this conduct.

“They’re absolutely shocking examples of violent crime in our community, directed against individuals because of their sexuality,” Minns told reporters on Feb. 25.

“It’s a throwback to a shocking period in Sydney’s history, and it will not be tolerated in 2026.”

Minns said he had asked the state’s cabinet office and the attorney-general’s department to draft “urgent legislation” to address what he described as “abhorrent behaviour.”

He said offenders who target people based on their sexuality should face a “significant jail penalty.”

“I want to make sure we’re in a situation where police have got the resources, the [Director of Public Prosecutions] has the resources, so that if someone is convicted of a crime like that, they can throw the book at them,” he said.

The proposed reforms could also include tougher consequences where digital platforms are used to commit or facilitate the crime—for example, where a carriage service such as social media or messaging apps are involved.

“It might be an aggravating factor or a new offence,” Minns said.

In 2025, when the NSW government created a new offence for intentionally inciting racial hatred—punishable by up to two years’ jail—after attacks on the Jewish community, LGBT advocacy groups argued the same protections should apply to them.

“Any community that is being targeted by hate deserves to be protected under the law,” said Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown.

Brown had then urged the government to stop the hate before it escalates into acts of violence.