Kentish Express Ashford & District
Police shelve investigation into alleged racist attack on teen
Police say they have filed an investigation into an alleged latenight racist attack on a teenage refugee.
The incident is believed to have happened in Beaver Road at the end of April, where a 17-yearold boy reported being knocked unconscious and losing several teeth after being attacked by a gang chasing him.
According to The Independent newspaper the gang stabbed the boy in the face, swore at him and told him they “hate black people”.
But despite the attack leaving the boy with serious scarring, the police say they have not been able to identify the attackers due to a “lack of descriptions and witnesses”.
The boy, originally from Eritrea, reported seeing the group in the High Street days after the attack and called the police after they taunted him.
But after officers carried out a search they were not able to find those responsible.
It is claimed that the boy was instead advised not to go out alone at night by officers inves- tigating his case.
An email to him reportedly states: “It looks like due to a lack of descriptions and witnesses that it will not be possible to investigate it further. Sad to say it is probably unwise to be out alone at that time of night.”
The police say they have investigated the report as a race hate crime but that there were no reports of any weapons being used. They deny claims that the incident involved a stabbing or a knife.
They say the boy was punched in the face, suffering two broken teeth and injuries to his lips and chin.
A Kent Police spokesman said: “No independent witnesses to the incident were identified and no clear description of the suspect was provided. Furthermore, no forensic evidence or CCTV opportunities were identified from inquiries made by officers.”
As a result, they say all lines of enquiry have been exhausted and therefore the case has been filed, pending any further evidence or information coming to light.
The spokesman added: “The outcome of the investigation is currently subject to a review by an inspector, as is mandatory with all reported hate crime incidents.”