A two-year investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has revealed that LGBTQIA+ teenagers in Sydney were among the earliest victims of a resurgent Islamic State (IS) network — the same extremist movement that later produced the gunmen responsible for the Bondi terror attack.
The ABC obtained deeply distressing footage and first-hand accounts showing alleged ISIS sympathisers assaulting gay and bisexual boys in Sydney earlier this year. Some of the recordings have been played in Sydney courts, while others were circulated in encrypted chat groups.
The material documents what authorities describe as a surge in violence against gay and bisexual young people — occurring up to two years before the Bondi attack. Five teenagers have been convicted over a series of filmed bashings.
Police evidence has linked members of the group to two prominent Australian pro-IS figures: Wisam Haddad and alleged youth recruiter Wassim Fayad.
Disturbing Footage and Court Evidence
The videos reportedly show groups of teenagers assaulting boys aged 16, hurling homophobic slurs and extremist slogans. In one recording, a teenager is dragged to the ground and stomped on. In another, a victim is forced into a public toilet block and repeatedly punched while being abused and labelled a “kaffir” — a derogatory term meaning non-believer.
One clip captures an attacker shouting “Dawlatul Islam” — Arabic for Islamic State — during the assault. Another records a threat: “I’ll f***ing shoot you, you little dog.”
Authorities say the footage reflects an organised and ideologically motivated pattern of violence.
Lured Through a Teen App
The first known victim was a bisexual Wiradjuri teenager from south-west Sydney who met a 17-year-old identifying himself as “Johnny” on the teen-focused dating app Wizz, which promotes itself as a safe platform for minors.
After arranging to meet at Liverpool station late on a school night, the teen was driven for 45 minutes — unaware that two other boys were hiding in the boot of the car. At Strathfield Park, he was allegedly ambushed by four teenagers aged between 14 and 17, who shouted homophobic abuse before assaulting him.
In response to a string of violent robberies and assaults targeting LGBTQIA+ people — many filmed and shared online with IS watermarks — NSW Police established Strike Force Section.
A month after the first reported assault, the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team — comprising NSW Police, the AFP and ASIO — conducted coordinated raids involving around a dozen teenagers. Five were charged over four filmed attacks. Investigators later uncovered chat logs suggesting the assaults had been occurring for at least 10 months.
Radicalisation Concerns
Deakin University extremism researcher Josh Roose told the ABC the videos demonstrate “a clear level of radicalisation and a clear willingness to use potentially deadly violence.”
“The videos demonstrate that there are young men who are prepared to potentially act in an incredibly violent manner against those they believe are subhuman and who should be attacked,” he said.
Since 2023, similar app-based assaults have been recorded across Australia, with attackers reportedly influenced by a mix of extremist ideologies, including jihadism and far-right extremism.
At least 64 people have been charged in New South Wales and Victoria in connection with dating app-related attacks targeting gay and bisexual people. A Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the incidents was announced last week, and there are growing calls for a coordinated national response.
“We are at risk of seeing these attacks that we’ve seen on videos turn deadly,” Roose warned. “It’s only a matter of time before a young man or men are killed.”
Political and Community Response
Just.Equal spokesperson Rodney Croome criticised the Federal Government’s approach to anti-hate protections, noting that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ruled out extending proposed anti-vilification protections to LGBTIQA+ Australians earlier this year.
“Passing laws against only one kind of hate means other forms are seen as less illegitimate and less deserving of a response,” Croome said.
“One important lesson from the Bondi tragedy is that the Government shouldn’t wait until attacks escalate before taking tough action against hate.
“We call on the Federal Government to introduce national vilification protections for LGBTIQA+ people, as well as stronger penalties for hate-motivated attacks.”
NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the state government and NSW Police continue to work closely with LGBTQIA+ community leaders to safeguard major events, including Sydney Mardi Gras.
