A family has been left "traumatised" after being subjected to an alleged racially motivated hate crime in South Belfast over the weekend.
On Saturday morning, a member of Belfast Asian Women’s Academy found her husband’s car wing mirror had been damaged. A traffic cone was also placed on top of the car while the side of the car was scratched.
It's understood this is not an isolated incident and the family have been subjected to previous incidents of abuse including having eggs and bags containing rubbish thrown inside the house.
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A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police received a report of criminal damage caused to a vehicle parked in a residential area of south Belfast on Saturday March 18. Police have spoken to the victim in this case on a number of occasions since then.
"When an incident or crime has been reported to police by the victim or by any other person and they perceive it as being motivated by prejudice or hate, it will be recorded and investigated as a hate incident or crime.
"Reporting incidents helps the police service to identify areas of concern, patterns of behaviour, and may assist in identifying and prosecuting offenders. We strongly encourage victims to continue to report incidents so that we can take action to prevent further escalation."
BAWA is made up of women from Asia who have now made Belfast their home. The organisation runs sporting and cultural projects in their spare time in conjunction with local women’s groups to promote a shared experience.
Speaking on behalf of BAWA, its founder Ana Chandran said: “Hate crime can impact the victims' emotional and mental well-being and I am disappointed that our member did not get the right support she needed at the time.
“If incidents of hate crimes are reported to the PSNI and they are not taken seriously, trust is eroded, and this is difficult to rebuild. Our member and her children are now traumatised by these events, and frightened to go out of the house and are currently receiving support from BAWA.
“Questions have to be asked. What has to happen to ensure these unprovoked racist attacks cease? Is this just another 'incident'? Another statistic? What can be done to ensure this doesn’t happen again?”
Andy George, President of the National Black Police Association, supports BAWA and says he will be raising the incident with the PSNI Service Lead for Hate Crime.
He said: "The Police Service NI must be aware of the impact and isolation ethnic minority communities feel when targeted repeatedly due to their race. Race hate crime continues to be the highest hate crime category and tackling it must remain a priority for the service."
In response, Belfast Area Commander Chief Superintendent Darrin Jones said: “Hate crime can have a long lasting, damaging impact on victims and their wider community. We believe that every person has the right to go about their lives without being the target of criminal behaviour motivated by hate or prejudice.
“The Police Service of Northern Ireland takes this issue very seriously and will take robust action against anyone caught committing a hate crime. The information the public provides to police is of vital importance and enables us to identify areas of concern, patterns of behaviour, and may assist in identifying and prosecuting offenders.
“We would encourage anyone who believes they have been the victim of a hate crime to contact police on 101 or in an emergency dial 999. They will be taken seriously.
“Reports can also be made online via the PSNI website. Information can be provided anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which gives people the power to speak up and stop crime."
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