Police have yet to answer questions on Somali youth beating incident
The police have still to answer questions made by The Times a week ago about an incident involving a 17-year-old Somali who was beaten in Ħal Far two weeks ago and then, according to the police, was accidently run over by a motorcycle.
In an interview with The Sunday Times some days after the accident, Abditafah Mohamed, who suffered severe head injuries, showed his legs had no marks of being run over.
The police had said that when officers were assisting Mr Mohamed, a man riding a motorcycle had mistaken the scene for a roadblock and drove by the side trampling over the migrant's legs.
Mr Mohamed's version was different. He said the man on the motorcycle was the one to call the police and had stopped in the middle of the road to ensure no cars hit him.
The migrant was allegedly beaten by three men who pulled over their black car while Mr Mohamed and his friend were cycling at night. His friend managed to escape to call for help but Mr Mohamed was hit and kicked and then placed in the middle of the road.
The incident sparked outrage from several NGOs who called for racism to be tackled by the authorities before the incidents became even more severe.
During the interview, Mr Mohamed had also said he had not yet been questioned by the police.
Questions sent to the police a week ago about the incident and Mr Mohamed's account remain unanswered. The Times also asked whether this was being treated as a racist attack and whether the victim or any suspects had been questioned so far.
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Joe Buttigieg
Jul 22nd 2009, 13:53
No i think you'll find that most work half days during the summer season or on holidays. These are the lucky government workers, although in this modern age with the installation of Air.Co. do they really need to work half days for the same wages, i certainly don't but then again i'm out of work at this moment in time, and trying to apply for a jopb at the labor exchange is no fun either cause they too wrok half days, its a catch 22 so to speak.
Adrian Borg Cardona
Jul 21st 2009, 14:54
Are they perhaps too busy with Astrid Vella?
Vivienne Grech
Jul 21st 2009, 13:58
Horrible story, horrible to read and horrible to think about. I hope the young man suffers no permanent disabilities, and I wish him good luck in his future life.
David Muscat
Jul 21st 2009, 11:37
I really cannot see how the case will be solved by the police answering any questions . If anything, the Somali should be questioned to ascertain exactly what happened. Unless this is done, no amount of questioning the police will help. Only by talking to the Somali can the foolish perpetrators be caught. Foolish ,because unless they are fools. No one knowing he was committing a crime would take his own car there with the risk of the numberplate being seen by the victim. Which means that they are reckless and therefore dangerous or else knew the victim .
As regards the wrong police version, what probably happened is that the person describing the incident was not there and did not get the correct information from his colleagues. Happens all the time in government departments. The police should give this case the attention it deserves to see what really happened not what the NGO's say happened.
It is in the interest of the NGO's to say it was a racist attack as it will help justify the funds being received from the EU.
Charles Sammut
Jul 21st 2009, 09:44
How exactly do these NGOs want the problem of increasing racism tackled?
Malta has abolished the death penalty, so life imprisonment would be the most severe punishment that can be inflicted. Life imprisonment is also applied in the case of drug trafficking. Has drug trafficking decreased?
The only way to reduce the problem is to reduce the number of illegal immigrants wandering all over the island. But very few countries seem to want to benefit from our rich diversity. I wonder why.