Racial attack handling criticised

Mohammad Hossain: Does not understand why family attacked

The police have rejected claims that they are failing to take attacks on ethnic minorities seriously in Northern Ireland.

The Anti-Racism Network questioned the commitment of the police to tackling racist crime and also criticised the Housing Executive.

The row followed a petrol bomb attack in south Belfast on the home of a Bangladeshi family as they slept early on Thursday.

Mohammad Hossain, his wife and their five-year-old daughter escaped injury when two petrol bombs were thrown at their house in Fane Street, off the Lisburn Road.

Mr Hossain says he has been attacked about 20 times before.

Barbara Muldoon of the Anti-Racism Network said Mr Hossain had told the authorities that the attacks were getting worse.

I am prepared to accept that we can learn things from situations like this Maurice Johnson Housing Executive

"We know from previous events in Northern Ireland that people in similar situations from the indigenous community get housed very quickly in the Hilton, and find that the police work quickly to find the perpetrators of attacks," she told BBC Radio Ulster on Friday.

"What was it about this family, who presented themselves to the Housing Executive, that they were turned away?"

The Housing Executive's Belfast area manager, Maurice Johnson, said Mr Hossain's case was dealt with.

"We are as appalled as anyone else, but I insist we have been following our operations to the letter in this case and trying to put it through as quickly as possible," he said.

"I am prepared to accept that we can learn things from situations like this."

Chief Inspector Nigel Grimshaw denied that the PSNI had been dragging their heels in dealing with racist attacks.

"The process of justice and of investigation can be lengthy, and at times, the public maybe feels that this does not move as quickly as they would like," he said.

"It's important that we gather all the evidence we can to ensure we can identify the culprits and successfully bring them through the courts."

Mr Hossain, who has lived in Belfast for 11 years, said he did not understand why his family was being attacked.

"I don't know why these people have done this to me - I have never done any harm to them," he said.

"It is an ongoing problem - I have been attacked about 20 times in that house.

"They tried to burn my house, they broke my windows, they smashed my door with a baseball bat - I don't know why they are doing this to me."