In a drastic move to escape what she deems a culture of violence and homophobia in Australia, Sydney musician Stephanie McCarthy and her partner Ashley Ihasz are seeking “humanitarian asylum” in Iceland.

As The Daily Telegraph reports, transgender woman McCarthy was subject to a vicious assault in a Newtown pub in 2015, and now she and her husband claim that they have been “forced … to flee from Australia in fear”

During the court proceedings for the attack, The Music reports that McCarthy was threatened outside the courtroom by Alexis Ozanne, who received 150 hours of community service. To avoid similar incidents, the couple say they have moved to Iceland “to live free of violence, intimidation, the threat of death and various other forms of abuse”.

The pair raised $1800 for the move in a now-closed GoFundMe campaign, where they stated that “escalation of threats towards her and myself as her partner have forced us to flee from Australia in fear of our lives,” and their accusations aren’t confined to the general public.

“Stephanie has been continually harassed and threatened by the NSW police,” the couple claim, although NSW Police have fiercely denied the allegations, telling The Daily Telegraph that “The NSW Police has zero-tolerance for violence against any member of the LGBTIQ community and rejects any claim to the contrary.”

According to the publication, Ms Ihász declined to comment further on the allegations against police without “compensation”. Already living in the Icelandic town of Keflavík, the couple face an almost year-long wait for their application to be processed.

The pair have said they face homelessness as their remaining money runs out, although receiving asylum in Iceland would entitle them to receive accommodation and a monthly income from the government.

“We certainly did not ask to take such dramatic actions to ensure our safety and both Stephanie and I feel uncomfortable in asking for help,” Ihasz has said. “But the truth is we have been forced into this situation and we need help.”

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