Gloucester police have laid charges against three youths who allegedly attacked a transgender teenager

Gloucester police are seeking assault and battery charges against three young men involved in an alleged assault of a transgender teen, officials announced Friday.

Police announced the conclusion of the investigation into the attack, which took place in late August, and filed an application for criminal complaints at the Gloucester Juvenile Court.

The juveniles, two of whom are 17 and one of whom is 16, will attend a hearing where a court clerk will determine whether there is probable cause to pursue charges, police said.

Authorities said the decision to charge comes after a “thorough, months-long investigation” conducted by detectives from the Gloucester Police Department, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police.

On Aug. 30, police were called to the area around Dogtown Road and opened an investigation into an attack at a party in the woods, where a young man was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries, the statement said.

Police said they determined that all of the people involved in the incident knew each other.

According to the victim, the suspects shouted profanities as they attacked him because he is transgender, NBC 10 Boston reported.

However, attorney Mark Randazza claims that the youths were defending themselves after the alleged victim threatened them with a knife, the news station reported.

Due to the hate crime allegations, Gloucester police have assigned a specially trained hate crime investigator to the case, the police department said.

However, police said the evidence “ultimately did not support hate crime charges.”

“Our department conducted a meticulous, thorough and compassionate investigation and the resulting charges are consistent with the evidence,” Police Chief Edward Conley said in the statement. “Our thoughts remain with the victim, who suffered significant injuries in this attack.”

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Lindsay Shachnow covers general assignment news for Boston.com, covering breaking news, crime and politics across New England.

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