A report filed with the Whiteville, N.C. Police Department indicates that Mary Gowans, 41, attempted to have her younger son repeatedly strike her older son in an attempt to ‘beat the gay’ out of him. The report states that when the officer arrived, screaming and yelling could be heard by several subjects inside the home.
According to the older teenager, he was instructed by Gowans to remain compliant and not strike back at the younger brother. At one point, according to the official report, Gowans had the son strip down to his underwear and “proceeded to strike with a belt across his body.”
Gowans also allegedly struck the victim “with a stick that left a large abrasion on his left shoulder.” The victim’s injuries were photographed after he was transported to the office of a magistrate.
This isn’t her first run-in with the law. Early this year, Gowan was charged with assault and battery in an unrelated matter and, following that, apprehended for driving without a license as well as driving with a child in the car’s front seat.
This isn’t the first time North Carolina has been in the spotlight over extreme homophobia. Back in early May 2012, Baptist preacher Sean Harris went into a long, angry tirade against gays that included him endorsing punching and attacking effeminate toddlers. Less than three weeks later, North Carolina Pastor Charles L. Worley made world news by suggesting during a sermon that gays and lesbians should be rounded up and put behind an electrified pen.
Mary Gowans is currently free on bond and will face a District Court hearing Oct. 9.
