Mother and child shaken by racially-motivated criminal damage, police say
Police have said a young mother and her child have been left badly shaken following a racially-motivated incident of criminal damage at a property in south Belfast.
Detectives said they received a report on Friday of the incident in the Roden Street area. . Racist graffiti had been daubed on the property.
Superintendent Finola Dornan said: “This incident is completely unacceptable and does not reflect the local community and its people.
“The heartbreaking reality behind this headline is a young mother and her child who were looking forward to moving into a new home, a place where they should have felt both safe and welcome.
“They have understandably been left badly shaken and distressed.
“Hate crime has no place in our society and we will be proactive in our approach to ensure justice for victims.
“Our investigation is ongoing and local officers are working to identify all those involved in this incident, so that those responsible are held to account for their actions.
“We will continue to engage closely with partner agencies and local advocacy groups as our inquiries continue.
“There are people who will have information, or suspicions, about who is involved in this incident.
“I am appealing directly to them to stand up and to help us to hold those responsible to account.”
SDLP leader Claire Hanna MP condemned the incident.
She said: “This is a disgraceful act that has prevented a family from moving into their new home. What should have been a moment of joy has turned into a horrible ordeal because of the ugly racism that has once again reared its head.
“Let me be clear – there is no place for racism in south Belfast or anywhere else in Northern Ireland. Where it appears, it will be faced down as it has been in the past and those responsible for this pathetic act should hang their heads in shame.
“I hope that the family impacted understands that those behind this are a tiny minority in what is a vibrant and diverse city – their home city as much as anyone else’s. I hope to see this situated addressed and this family being found a new home they can feel comfortable in. Nobody has the right to deprive them of that.”