British man who hit a Muslim woman with a pack of bacon in north London has been jailed for racially aggravated assault.
Alex Chivers verbally abused a teenager and her mother, who were wearing headscarves, and then hit the younger woman with a packet of bacon.
Chivers, who wore a mask while carrying out the attack, was filmed by his friend.
The attacker shouted “Isil [Daesh] scum” and added “You deserve this” as he hit the teen across the face.
While there was no serious injury in the attack, it caused severe psychological trauma.
Chivers appeared to have no remorse for his crime, grinning in the photo that police took after his arrest.
The attacker was sentenced to 26 weeks for the assault and 12 weeks for a public order offense, according to Highbury Corner Magistrates.
Chivers will also pay a fine of £115 ($149) and will be under police supervision for 12 months after his release.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said, “The Met have long since recognized the impact of hate crime on communities and the hidden nature of this crime, which remains largely under-reported. The MPS stands together with policing partners, colleagues and groups to investigate all hate crime allegations, support victims and their families, and bring perpetrators to justice.”
Detective Constable James Payne of the Enfield Community Safety Unit added, “We know other people were present during this attack, including an associate of Chivers’ who filmed the incident. Enquiries are ongoing to trace these people, and if you have any information that may assist in identifying them please contact the Community Safety Unit at Enfield via 101. The Community Safety Unit here in Enfield would encourage all victims of hate crime to contact police so that the culprits can be identified and brought to justice.”
A report released by Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) reveals that Islamophobic hate crimes have risen dramatically in the U.K. since 2015.
Official statistics show a 44 percent and 43 percent increase in religious hate crimes in the U.K. from 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, respectively. Comparatively, the total number of religious hate crimes over the last 12 months has risen by 60 percent.
After an attack on worshippers at a mosque in London’s Finsbury Park this month, British Prime Minister Theresa May stated, “We can all at least welcome the focus in this Queen’s Speech on stamping out extremist and hateful ideology of any kind, including Islamophobia.”
