More and more the coals under D.C. police department continue to burn hotter over its recent treatment of LGBT-related hate crimes. Five lesbians are now accusing the MPD of ignoring an attack by two men near the Columbia Heights Metro Station early last Saturday morning. According to the women, the two men assaulted them slurs and punches after one of the women rebuffed advances from one of the men.

But after the incident, the two accused attackers were released by the police. Instead, the four or five officers focused on the women and threatened arrest for being overly hysterical, according to witnesses. The Blade also reports that a third man recorded the entire incident, before and after the police’s arrival, but that officers refused to look at the video or take any reports despite requests. A collective face-palm has arisen from the gay and lesbian community, saying that such a reaction is understandable after such an event. “I mean, if you’re attacked, especially in that violent of a fashion, the expectation is that you’d be very upset about that,” said A.J. Singletary, of Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence, to NBC4.

Since then, the MPD’s gay and lesbian liaison has taken reports from the victims while Police Chief Cathy Lanier has contacted them individually — admitting too little, too late.