Council and police accused of racism after death

A POLICE force and a council have been accused of institutional racism after “repeatedly siding with the abusers” of an Iranian man, who was murdered after being wrongly accused of being a paedophile.

The Safer Bristol Partnership found a “collective failure” by Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol City Council in the case of Bijan Ebrahimi, and said there was “evidence of both discriminatory behaviour and institutional racism”.

The 44-year-old was beaten to death and his body set on fire by neighbour Lee James outside his home in Bristol in July 2013.

James, who was later jailed for life for the murder, wrongly believed Mr Ebrahimi was a paedophile who had been filming his children.

The report found there was no evidence of any individual being intentionally racist towards Mr Ebrahimi.

“Nevertheless, there is evidence that Mr Ebrahimi was repeatedly targeted for racist abuse and victimisation by some members of the public, that this was repeatedly reported to Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Bristol City Council and that representatives of both organisations repeatedly sided with his abusers,” the report said.

It referred to the landmark report by Sir William Macpherson which accused the Metropolitan Police of institutional racism over the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

In July, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) produced a report on the case, concluding that Avon and Somerset Police repeatedly failed Mr Ebrahimi in the seven years before his death.

It found officers showed “hallmarks” of racial bias against Mr Ebrahimi.

PC Kevin Duffy and PCSO Andrew Passmore were jailed at Bristol Crown Court last year for misconduct in a public office in connection with Mr Ebrahimi’s death.

They, along with PCs Helen Harris and Leanne Winter, were dismissed from Avon and Somerset Police.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “We apologise for failing to adequately support Bijan as a victim.”