Religious hate crime up 600%

2005-08-02 21:14

London - Figures released by London police on Tuesday showed crimes motivated by religious hatred had increased by nearly 600% since the July 7 London bombings.

Metropolitan police said they had received 269 reports of religious hatred crimes - including verbal and physical attacks and criminal damage to property including mosques - since the bombings which killed 52 in London on July 7, compared to 40 similar crimes in the same three and a half week period last year.

In the three days immediately after the attacks, which are believed to have been carried out by three young Britons from Muslim Pakistani families and a fourth man who moved from Jamaica as a child, there were 68 religious hate crimes reported in London, compared to none in the same period last year.

Metropolitan police assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur said the attacks had targeted London's Muslim community.

"There is no doubt that incidents impacting on the Muslim community have increased," Ghaffur said.

He said most of the crimes were low-level abuse or minor assaults but they had had a great "emotional impact".

"It can lead to these communities completely retreating and not engaging at a time when we want their engagement and support," Ghaffur said.

- AP