Mother and child shaken by racially-motivated criminal damage, police say

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

Police have said a young mother and her child have been left badly shaken following a racially-motivated incident of criminal damage at a property in south Belfast.

Detectives said they received a report on Friday of the incident in the Roden Street area.

Superintendent Finola Dornan said: “This incident is completely unacceptable and does not reflect the local community and its people.

“The heartbreaking reality behind this headline is a young mother and her child who were looking forward to moving into a new home, a place where they should have felt both safe and welcome.

“They have understandably been left badly shaken and distressed.

“Hate crime has no place in our society and we will be proactive in our approach to ensure justice for victims.

“Our investigation is ongoing and local officers are working to identify all those involved in this incident, so that those responsible are held to account for their actions.

“We will continue to engage closely with partner agencies and local advocacy groups as our inquiries continue.

“There are people who will have information, or suspicions, about who is involved in this incident.

“I am appealing directly to them to stand up and to help us to hold those responsible to account.”