An assault on a teenager asked what religion he was before being subjected to a beating is being treated as a ‘sectarian motivated hate crime’, police say.
The lad, aged 13, was attacked at a takeaway on Broughham Street in North Belfast on Sunday.
Local MLA Brian Kingston says the victim was subjected to derogatory comments about being a Protestant as he was kicked and punched.
Read more: PSNI appeal after boy aged 14 attacked by gang of teens
In a statement issued on Monday morning, the PSNI said officers “received a report of an assault on a teenage boy at a fast food restaurant at Brougham Street on Sunday 3rd July”.
A spokesman added: “It was reported that the boy, along with two of his friends, was surrounded inside the premises at around 5.30pm by a number of youths who asked them where they were from and what religion they were. One of the three boys was then kicked and punched by the youths requiring him to later attend hospital for treatment to facial injuries. The assault is being treated as a sectarian motivated hate crime.
“Enquiries into the incident are ongoing and anyone with any information or who may be able to help with the investigation, is asked to call officers at Tennent Street on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1543 03/07/22."
Brian Kingston branded those responsible “sectarian thugs”. He said the lad is from the York Road area.
In a Facebook post, the DUP representative added: “Along with two friends he was in the KFC at Brougham Street when a larger group of around ten boys, around the same age, came into the premises at around 5.15pm and asked aggressively if they were Protestant or Catholic. When they refused to answer one of the larger group made a derogatory comment that they must be Protestants and one of the boys was then kicked on the arm and punched hard on the head, resulting in a swollen lump on his head.
“This is a deplorable hate crime by a cowardly sectarian bunch who did not know their victims but were clearly looking for a smaller number of Protestant youths that they could attack. When the mother of the attacked boy arrived, the same youths were seen in the grounds of Cityside Retail Park making their way out of the gate on North Queen Street and heading towards New Lodge.
“Such sectarian attacks must have consequences for the perpetrators and I urge anyone with information to pass that on to the police. With all the CCTV cameras in the vicinity of the KFC and Cityside Retail Park it must surely be possible to identify these youths so that they can be brought to justice.
“On the advice of the PSNI, the assaulted boy has been taken to hospital for an assessment of his head injury. I hope that his physical injuries will not be long-term but clearly such an experience will be traumatic for any person.
“Those who carried out this attack are condemned by their own actions. Whilst they may be seeking to escalate tensions in North Belfast, we would appeal for calm and for all efforts across the community to be put into bringing those responsible to justice.”
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