UK court finds teen’s assault of Singaporean student a racist act
A British court has found a 15-year-old boy, part of a group of teens who attacked a Singaporean student in London last February, guilty of a racist act.
The verdict on Monday by the Highbury Corner Youth Court comes after the boy pleaded guilty in August last year to wounding or causing grievous bodily harm without intent.
He had challenged the account of Mr Jonathan Mok, 23, in the London court and said he and his friends never said "I don't want your coronavirus in my country" or made any comments regarding Mr Mok's ethnicity.
RACIALLY MOTIVATED
However, the court on Monday found him guilty of racially aggravated grievous bodily harm. It confirmed what the London police have investigated the case as following the incident that took place in Oxford Street in London on Feb 24 last year - a racially motivated assault.
Chairman of the Bench Lesley Ward laid out the verdict that the attack had been "unprovoked and racially motivated", after Mr Mok's testimony that the group had spewed racist epithets during the attack was supported by witnesses in the vicinity.
She told the boy: "Given the number of witnesses and your proximity to the incident, we feel it's not plausible that you missed the racist term being used and it's therefore difficult to believe your version of events."
This makes the boy's actions a hate crime, which will affect his sentencing at the same court on Jan 27.
He has been released on unconditional bail.
Mr Mok is one of many of Chinese ethnicity who were targeted in Europe and America by those who linked the coronavirus with the Chinese, especially in the early months of the pandemic.
The University College London law student had said on Facebook that he turned around to face the group only after he heard them say "coronavirus" as he walked past them that night.
One of the group of five, which included a girl, then punched him in the face and said, "I don't want your coronavirus in my country", before they fled. Mr Mok's injuries had to be treated with facial surgery.
The London police have said earlier that another boy, a 16-year-old, who was arrested on March 4 in connection with the case, has been released with no further action taken against him.
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