Six arrested in London on charges of assaulting Iranian asylum seeker
British police questioned six people on Sunday over the beating of an Iranian asylum seeker who suffered a fractured skull.
According to Reuters, British police have arrested four boys and two girls over the age of 20 on charges of attempting to murder the 17-year-old Kurdish-Iranian refugee.
British police say eight young men approached the Iranian refugee at night as he was standing at a bus stop in London.
The report adds that when the eight people realized that the boy was an Iranian refugee, they chased him down the street and beat him.
According to the police, the eight people stopped beating the Iranian when they heard the sound of the police siren and the public intervened.
However, residents of the London neighborhood of Croydon told the Associated Press that there were many more than eight people beating the boy, and many more watching.
British police say they are treating the boy's assault as a hate crime.
Police are currently interviewing witnesses to the incident and have asked the public to contact the relevant authorities if they have any information.
The Associated Press writes that xenophobia has increased in Britain after the vote to leave the European Union.
The incident has drawn widespread criticism in Britain. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Sunday, April 4, that "hate crime has no place in London."
The Mayor of London added: "London is a diverse and wonderful city. We not only embrace our differences, we celebrate them."
Sadiq Khan stressed: "Those who sow the seeds of hatred cannot divide our communities. As always, we will have zero tolerance for hate crimes."
