An Algerian asylum seeker was stoned and sexually assaulted as she walked along a cycle path in Glasgow with her one-year-old baby. Police are hunting for a group of four males and have asked that three of them come forward and identify the attacker.
The man, described as white and aged between 20 and 25, kicked the woman and pulled off her headscarf before exposing himself and sexually assaulting the victim, who has not been identified. He then tried to sexually assault the child.
The woman, who is 33 years old, managed to break free from her attacker and fled with her baby, leaving her headscarf, pram and baby bottle behind on the path. Police are examining CCTV footage for evidence.
The attack took place on April 3 but the woman was so traumatised she did not contact police until Wednesday. She described her attacker as very tall and thin with very short hair and wearing white and blue tracksuit trousers.
The officer in charge, Detective Inspector Andy McWilliam, said: “This was a particularly harrowing ordeal for the woman and her son. It may be the other members of the group are as disgusted with the sexual element of this attack on a defenceless woman and her one-year-old baby. They may be in a position to assist the police in identifying the individual responsible. I am also keen to locate the whereabouts of the pram, headscarf and bottle.”
The assault took place in Yoker, a socially deprived part of Glasgow which is now home to a large community of asylum seekers. It has been praised for the way it has tried to integrate those seeking refuge there and has been at the heart of the campaign to stop asylum seekers being deported. Groups of local residents have met at dawn to prevent the arrival of vans with teams intent on removing asylum seekers. The victim lives in the area.
Robina Qureshi, director of Positive Action for Housing, a charity which works with ethnic minorities, said: “This was a very sick thing done by some very twisted individuals. The fact that he ripped off her headscarf made this not just an attack on her but an attack on her faith. The police have described it as a racially motivated attack and they rarely do that. The area that it happened in is quite a cohesive area.”
Audrey Gillan
Friday April 13, 2007
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2056415,00.html
20 responses so far ↓
Mark // April 13, 2007 at 11:49 am
I am a native glaswegian and i am utterly apalled by this attack! I don’t understand why people care about race, religion and colour! What makes this attack even more sickening is the fact that it is on a mother and child!! I really hope the culprits are found and are given a heafty sentence. If they are given a short sentence i relly hope they get what they deserve in prison!!
Helen // April 16, 2007 at 8:08 am
If this istrue its sickening! Why was it not aired on TV until days after the event and apart from the odd appearance of Police Officers voicing disgust why has there beenno press conference, descriptions issued.
It bears the hallmarks of the last “race outrage” in Scotland, that of the young Sikh boy beaten and humiliated by the “white gang of youths” who shaved his sacred hair.
That turned out to be a lie was was seized by UAF and other Race Industry experts.
This is too sensitive so near the elections to be be given the half hearted rumour mongering its getting.
There has been no updates no members of the womans community giving interviews. I’m suspicious of it.
Johny Glasgow // April 16, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Oh Shut up Helen… How dare you! If you had half of a brain you would have proberly raid that evidence has been found, aswell as CCTV footage.
And members of the community have spoken out, just read the newspapers and get a life.
Craig // April 16, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Does anyone remember the “racist” attack on a Jewish woman on the Paris underground? Does anyone know about the Duke lacrosse “gang-rape”?
This is an “allegation” and a very bizarre one at that! A lot of people are speculating that this is a phoney incident made up by a woman possibly facing extradition, or even a propaganda stunt designed to diminish the BNP share of the vote in the upcoming elections.
This case has already dropped off the media radar, I strongly suspect that the CCTV footage will show no such attack taking place, we will only hear about the CCTV evidence if it vindicates the accuser, if the CCTV footage shows that the allegation is as false as the Pilrig Park incident the public will not be informed. Sad really!
Craig // April 20, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Does anyone know the results of the CCTV analysis yet?
Ali // April 23, 2007 at 8:36 pm
Helen and Craig,
Check out this link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6579843.stm
Good enough for you?
Felicity K // April 28, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Well its not good enough for me either I’m afraid. The papers have stopped reporting it and the “community” would be having daily demo’s if it was true. The link you provided was on the 21st of this month, since then zilch.
If the headscarf pram and bottle lay for nearly a week I’m not surprised DNA got on it, with drunks and druggies fouling up the scene.
Such a heinous crime would not have languished ignored for so long.
Even the locals think its a set up. As Craig says it will quietly fade out of mind until the Lefties need it again. It’ll have grown in severity with each telling of course.
Its highly suspicious.
Ali // April 30, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Felicity K,
Yes, the link I posted was on the 21st of the month and the point of my posting it was to show Craig and Helen, that we are still getting media updates and that investigations are continuing, not “languishing ignored” as you put it.
The report was only published 9 days ago and I’m sure that the Algerian woman’s allegations will be thoughroughly investigated. I’m also sure that we will hear if they turn out to be false as the police would then surely charge her with making false allegations and wasting police time?
You say that the locals think its a “set up” - please tell us where you got this information from.
Michael Woods // April 30, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Isn’t it true that once a case is under investigation it falls off the radar because it is considered sub judice and the media can no longer comment on the details.
Craig // May 2, 2007 at 8:43 am
Ali
“Is this good enough for you”
Is what good enough for me? A headscarf has been recovered; the headscarf contains DNA, unless this DNA evidence is from semen it is not evidence that a sexual assault took place. I think you are wilfully exploiting scientific jargon to add a veneer of credibility to this episode. DNA “evidence” simply means that DNA was recovered from the recovered items, that DNA may be from a family member or, more likely, from kids who found and discarded the item before the men in blue bungled upon it. We still have no CCTV evidence that a crime took place and no witnesses to support this allegation. When it comes to racism the White community is always guilty until proven innocent.
Ali // May 3, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Craig,
I did not make any comment regarding any evidence that was recovered from the scene - I merely posted a link that showed how investigations were continuing. This was a response to your view that it will “drop off the media radar”. I fail to see how that makes me guilty of “willfully exploiting scientific jargon to add a veneer of credibility to this episode”.
I find your comment “When it comes to racism the White community is always guilty until proven innocent” distasteful. It is also untrue since, as far as I’m aware, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, not just ethnic minorities. You may feel that way, but if you have any evidence to back up that dubious statement please post it.
Michael,
That’s a good point you made regarding sub judicae cases - the only problem here is that Craig and Helen seem to think that the lack of reporting confirms their suspicions. Delighted to make your acquaintance too!
Craig // May 5, 2007 at 2:10 pm
“I did not make any comment regarding any evidence that was recovered from the scene - I merely posted a link that showed how investigations were continuing. This was a response to your view that it will “drop off the media radar”
Ali, get real! This story opened with a fanfare, the news item you linked to can be regarded as a squeak. To all extent and purpose this story has disappeared.
“I find your comment “When it comes to racism the White community is always guilty until proven innocent” distasteful. It is also untrue since, as far as I’m aware, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, not just ethnic minorities. You may feel that way, but if you have any evidence to back up that dubious statement please post it”
When Kriss Donald’s murdered body was discovered the police immediately issued a statement casting doubt upon claims that this had been a racist murder and pushed the gang angle for all it was worth.. Stephen Lawrence’s murder has never even been solved, we have no idea why he was murdered and yet it is regarded as the UK’s seminal “racist” murder. Two Asians in England kicked a white man to death and walked away saying “We have killed the white man, that will teach an Englishman to mess in Paki business”. This was not considered to be a racially aggrivated crime. That sounds like evidence to me Ali. It seems to me that when a white person is attacked by non-whites it is described as an, “apparently motivless crime”. When a non-white person is attacked by whites, the police are obliged under practices intruduced after the publishing of the Lawrence Report, to actually assume a racial motivation on the part of the attackers. I find that “distasteful”.
“That’s a good point you made regarding sub judicae cases - the only problem here is that Craig and Helen seem to think that the lack of reporting confirms their suspicions”
An allegation only becomes sub-judice after suspects have been interviewd and charges are at least under consideration, so, in fact, it’s a very bad point Ali. There is no reason for the lack of report other than a lack of credible evidence.
Michael Woods // May 5, 2007 at 6:21 pm
And so unless you are party to the investigation and know that suspects have been interviewed or not you actually have no idea whether charges ARE under consideration.
Therefore the lack of reporting is most likely to be because of legal restrictions, not lack of interest.
So which is it ? Those of you with privileged sources in Authority should be able to put this one to rest with the inside track on the credible evidence or lack of same.
Craig // May 8, 2007 at 7:22 am
“Therefore the lack of reporting is most likely to be because of legal restrictions, not lack of interest”
Michael, I was refering to the volume, extent and tone of the coverage, Ali’s link shows that the media are still able to report on this allegation. It’s just that, as his link also shows, they have nothing particularily to report.
Even if this case was sub judice there is nothing to stop the media from reporting on community reaction to this allegation and on the implications for race relations in Glasgow etc.
“So which is it ? Those of you with privileged sources in Authority should be able to put this one to rest with the inside track on the credible evidence or lack of same”
It would only take a phone call from someone at this organization to establish whether or not this case is sub judice. Make the call and tell me when it became sub judice?
Ali // May 11, 2007 at 11:30 am
Hi Craig,
Ok, you accused me of willfully exploiting jargon. When I pointed out that I did no such thing you respond by telling me to “get real” and talk (again) about the lack of media coverage. We’ve already discussed the possible reasons behind this, and so I don’t feel that there’s any point in going over it again or that your response substantiates your accusation.
Your comments on Kris Donalsdson et al are anecdotes, not evidence and I have some of those as well. I won’t use them though, as they don’t prove anything, much like yours. You also mentioned the Stephen Lawrence case in support of your view that whites are at a disadvantage during criminal investigations. Not the best example you could use since one of the conclusions of the MacPherson enquiry into the murder of Stephen was that the police had been ‘institutionally racist’ (and not against the white population).
One of the reasons for my posts on this subject, if you read back, were to counter your view that the Algerian woman made false allegations. You seem impatient to be proved right since you posted again 4 days after your original comment asking for results of CCTV footage. I don’t recall any case where such footage is broadcast until a trial is underway and its brought out as evidence. I have no intention of arguing with you about anything other that the subject in question and even then, not until all investigations have concluded. You believe the allegations are false (possibly a ploy so that the woman won’t be deported), I don’t (crimes committed against Asylum Seekers have no bearing on their case). I think that all we can (fairly) say at the moment.
Craig // June 21, 2007 at 12:54 pm
“I have no intention of arguing with you about anything other that the subject in question and even then, not until all investigations have concluded”
That’s not quite true is it Ali? What you mean is that you insist that the Asylum seekers story must be considered true in every detail until it is proven to be untrue; if the investigation is inconclusive the assumprtion that the attack took place as described will be the default liberal position.
You asume this “guilty until proven innocent” stance in then full knowledge that an inconclusive investigation is far more likely to lead to accusations of racism being levelled at the police, than it is to lead to investigations of the status of the purported victim, just as it did in the Stephen Lawrence case, as you so helpfully point out.
BTW, the initial response of the Glasgow constabulary dismising any question that the murder of Kriss Donald was racially motivated (it was), and their touting of the murder as “gang related” (wrong) is recorded fact, how can you possibly mistake this for “anecdotal” evidence?
Troll Outer // June 22, 2007 at 11:48 pm
don’t feed him, Ali!
shuck // September 4, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Does anyone think this attack may have been carried out by an asylum seeker?
Any comments on the recent arrest of 4 Kurdish males for the murder of a prositute in Glasgow? Are these 4 men asylum seekers?
Carolyn // September 5, 2007 at 3:13 pm
From the information given in the press, i do not believe the four men arrested were asylum seekers.
Asylum seekers cannot travel and this news story ( http://news.scotsman.com/glasgow.cfm?id=1391592007) has stated that two had believed to have travelled back and forth from Turkey.
Can you please give us details of where you have read that 4 Kurdish males were arrested for the murder, because I don’t think you have read the full story?
Also, the males who attacked the women in the above story have been identified as Scottish Youths, so no they were not asylum seekers either.
Anything else you want to try and blame on Asylum seekers?
Micky Rock // September 5, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Carolyn
I read your link regarding the arrest of the 4 Turkish men in connection with the Emma Caldwell murder and you said that you didn’t think they were Asylum seekers as two had travelled back and forth to Turkey.
I’m not usually one for picking hairs, but the article makes no mention of any of the 4 arrested ever travelling back and forth from Turkey but refers to 2 other men that were questioned returning to Turkey who didn’t come back.
Leave a Comment