The attacks on Friday and Sunday nights left one victim in critical care and another with serious injuries.
Both victims were lured through the use of dating apps and police are investigating a potential link between the incidents.
Y Southland chief executive and city councillor Steve Broad said he was aware of reports the app used to lure the victims was Grindr, which is used by members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Despite having no personal confirmation if the app was used or if the attacks were a motivated attack against the LGBTQ+ community, he found the reports concerning.
‘‘These attacks are devastating, particularly because they appear to involve people being targeted while trying to make a genuine human connection.’’
‘‘I think any violent attack like this is confronting, but when people feel they’ve been targeted because of who they are, it hits differently.
‘‘While we each have an individual responsibility to make safe decisions, incidents like this can shake people’s sense of trust and confirm some of the fears they already carry around — the simple freedom to be who they are.’’
If these attacks were indeed motivated by hate, he did not want them to define the LGBTQ+ community or Invercargill itself.
‘‘Southland is built on good people who genuinely care about each other.’’
He said it was important ‘‘we don’t retreat into fear’’, and he was grateful to police for their continued investigation into the incident.
His experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in Invercargill had been largely positive, although ‘‘suffering scars from internal struggles’’, of having to hide who he was.
However, he loved Invercargill and believed it had changed and grown significantly in recent years.
‘‘There’s a growing understanding that diversity are part of what make our communities stronger.’’
He saw the potential motive behind the attacks as a reminder the ‘‘journey is not complete and harmful incidents still could happen’’.
Police declined to release any further details about the assaults yesterday, including which dating app was used.
