London, England, Jun 17, 2016 / 02:02 am
A teenager and practicing Catholic in the United Kingdom was reportedly tied to a cross and hung from a wall in a campaign of bullying by four of his older, male co-workers.
The victim, 19, also allegedly had religious and phallic symbols drawn on his body with permanent marker, was tied to a chair, had deodorant sprayed towards him and ignited and was violently lifted off the ground by his underpants in various alleged incidents, the BBC reports.
Four men – Andrew Addison, 30, Joseph Rose, 21, Christopher Jackson, 22, and Alex Puchir, 37 – are on trial in York Crown Court in connection with the bullying and are accused of religiously aggravated assault by beating.
According to court proceedings, the incidents occurred while the victim was serving an apprenticeship at the Direct Interior Solutions – a shop-fitting company in Selby, North Yorkshire.