Detectives investigating an assault in Croydon on Friday, 31 March, have arrested six people.
The four men and two women were arrested late on Saturday, 1 April, at addresses in Croydon and taken into custody at a south London police station.
All were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and violent disorder.
They are: [A] a 20-year-old man, [B] a 24-year-old woman, [C] a 20-year-old man, [D] a 20-year-old man, [E] a 24-year-old man, and [F] a 20-year-old woman.
Detectives in Croydon continue to appeal for information and witnesses to the attack, which is being treated as a suspected hate crime.
Police were called at around 23:40hrs on Friday, 31 March, to reports of a group of youths attacking a male in Shrublands Avenue, Croydon.
Officers and London Ambulance Service attended the location and found a 17-year-old male suffering from serious assault related injuries. He was taken to a south London hospital, where he remains. We understand the victim’s condition is serious but stable, and not believed to be life-threatening.
Police are in the process of informing next of kin.
DS Kris Blamires from Croydon CID said: “At this early stage it is believed that about eight suspects approached the victim as he waited at a bus stop with two friends outside the Goat Public House in the Shrublands.
“It is understood that the suspects asked the victim where he was from and when they established that he was an asylum seeker they chased him and launched a brutal attack.
“He has sustained serious head and facial injuries as a result of this attack, which included repeated blows to the head by a large group of attackers.
“A number of people came to the aid of the victim as he lay unconscious and injured following the assault.
“The suspects are believed to have made off in the direction of the Goat Pub, Broom Road following the attack.
“I would encourage all those who came to his aid and those in the immediate area who witnessed the attack or saw the males leave the scene to get in touch.
“All communities stand together against hate and we would ask anyone with any information to come forward immediately.”
The two male friends of the victim managed to escape the attackers and suffered minor injuries only. There are no other reported injuries.
Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call Croydon CID during office hours on 020 3276 2234 or via 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
You can also tweet @MetCC
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The Met have long since recognised the impact of hate crime on communities and the hidden nature of this crime – which remains largely under reported – and it stands together with policing partners, colleagues and groups to investigate all hate crime allegations, support victims and their families and bring perpetrators to justice.
Where we identify a possible trigger event that could result in more hate crime we instigate a community engagement plan to ensure those in communities who may be victims of hate crime know that we will not tolerate this kind of crime and that we encourage them to report this to the police.
Over the last two years, the MPS has increased specialist investigators within the 32 London borough community safety units by 30 per cent, with more than 900 specialist member of staff dedicated to investigating all hate crime and we have reviewed our approach to hate crime, placing extra focus upon evidence gathering and technology to help identify suspects to bring them to justice.
The MPS would appeal to anyone who witnesses or suffers any hate of any type to immediately report it so that action can quickly be taken and catch those who are responsible.
Hate Crime can be reported through 999 in an emergency, by dialling 101 in a non-emergency, directly at a police station, through the MOPAC Hate Crime app or through community reporting methods such as Tell mama or the CST.
