Police are appealing for witnesses and information after a group of school children were racially abused in Stoke Newington.
The incident happened at approximately 18:30hrs on Saturday, 11 March as the victims – two 12-year-old boys and a 13-year-old girl – walked home from an adventure playground in Clissold Park.
As the group walked down Clissold Road near to Stoke Newington School and Clissold Leisure Centre, a car pulled up. The man driving the car racially abused the group before spitting out of the window at them – he then drove off. A woman was also in the car.
The victims called police but then made their way home and were spoken to by officers later.
Detectives from Hackney Borough’s Community Safety Unit are investigating and the incident is being treated as a hate crime.
They are appealing for any witnesses who were in the area at the time to contact them and are keen to hear from anyone who may have information about the incident.
The suspect is described as a man of Mediterranean appearance, possibly Turkish, with black hair and aged in his thirties.
Detective Constable David Leitner, the officer in the case from Hackney’s Community Safety Unit, said:
“This was a shocking incident that has left the victims extremely shaken – the fact that this racial abuse was directed at children makes the offence all the more abhorrent.
“I am appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident and witnessed the incident to contact police.
“I would also ask people who saw a car, described as a white Volvo saloon, driving in the vicinity of Clissold Park to get in touch – you may hold a vital bit of evidence that could assist us in identifying the person responsible.
“Equally if you are the individuals concerned, please contact police.”
Any witnesses or anyone with any information is asked to call Hackney Community Safety Unit on 07500 850 625, or via 101, or by tweeting @MetCC.
To give information anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
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 the Met identifies a possible trigger event that could result in more hate crime a community engagement plan is instigated to ensure those in communities who may be victims of hate crime know that the Met will not tolerate this kind of crime and that the Met encourages them to report this to the police.
Over the last two years, the Met has increased specialist investigators within the 32 London borough community safety units by 30 per cent, with more than 900 specialist members of staff dedicated to investigating all hate crime and has reviewed its approach to hate crime, placing extra focus upon evidence gathering and technology to help identify suspects to bring them to justice.
The Met 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.
