Arrests Made In Assault On Iranian Refugee

Six more people have been charged in the hate crime attack against 17 year old Reker Ahmed, a Kurdish-Iranian asylum seeker in Croydon.

On Friday night, Reker Ahmed and two of his friends were waiting at a bus stop when they were approached by a gang of youths. The youths asked where Reker Ahmed was from and began attacking him when they found out he was a refugee—reports the Croydon Guardian.

Ahmed suffered life threatening injuries  from the violent assault that may have involved up to 30 and has so far resulted in 16 arrests.

In the brutal attack, Ahmed suffered a fractured spine, a fractured eye socket, and some bleeding in his brain. He is expected to survive. His two friends suffered non-threatening injuries.

The victim had only been living in the UK for a few months.

Thankfully, his condition has improved and he was able to move from intensive care to a mainstream ward on Monday night.

The alleged assailants include Liam Neylen, 19, Ben Harman, 20, James Neves, 22, Ellie Leite, 19, a 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy, who were charged on Tuesday—in addition to Kyran Evans, 23, and a 17-year-old girl.

On Monday, police also arrested  Daryl Davis, 20, Danyelle Davis, 24, Barry Potts, 20, George Walder, 20, and Jack Walder, 24.

All are charged with assault.

Police charged Ben Harman, George Walder, and the 17-year old boy with racially aggravated grievous bodily harm.  

Reker Ahmed has no family in the UK and authorities are trying to find his relatives in Iran.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott says in a report by the Croydon Guardian:

“Sadly this is not an isolated incident but part of a sustained increase in hate crimes that this Tory government is yet to offer any effective response to.

“With right-wing politicians across the world scapegoating migrants, refugees and others for their economic problems, we are seeing a deeply worrying rise in the politics of hate. We must make clear that there is no place for anti-foreigner myths, racism and hate in our society.”

Police urgently encourage anyone with video footage of this violent attack to come forward.

Original Source:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/04/six-more-people-charged-...