Hate-crime probe after woman in hijab confronted, assaulted Posted on September 30, 2024 By xzuan Breadcrumb Trail Links News Local News Published Sep 27, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 2 minute read You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. London police headquarters. (Free Press file photo) Table of Contents Toggle Article contentSign In or Create an Account Article content A woman in a hijab was confronted by a man “yelling derogatory comments” who later assaulted her and two bystanders, London police say – an incident that has unnerved local Muslim leaders and that investigators are treating as a possible hate crime. London police say it was about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday when the incident happened in the area of Berkshire Drive and Berkshire Place, a suburban neighbourhood near the intersection of Wonderland and Springbank roads. Advertisement 2 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Ryan Pyette, Dale Carruthers, Jane Sims, Norman De Bono and others. Plus, the Noon News Roundup newsletter on weekdays and the LFP Weekender newsletter on weekends. Unlimited online access to London Free Press and 15 news sites with one account. London Free Press ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Ryan Pyette, Dale Carruthers, Jane Sims, Norman De Bono and others. Plus, the Noon News Roundup newsletter on weekdays and the LFP Weekender newsletter on weekends. Unlimited online access to London Free Press and 15 news sites with one account. London Free Press ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. Sign In or Create an Account or Article content The man started yelling at the woman, who police say didn’t know him. She called out for help, police said. When another woman came to her aid, police say both women were assaulted and one woman had property damaged. Police described the physical injuries as minor. Video statement from Inspector Pete Testa in relation to an assault with a weapon investigation. Posted by London Police Service – Canada on Friday, September 27, 2024 Noon News Roundup Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Noon News Roundup will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The man then flashed a knife at another nearby person and threatened all three before running off. The man was soon arrested, police said. James Edward Henkel, 79, of London is charged with three counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of assault and one count of damage to property under $5,000. He is to appear in London court on Nov. 5 Police say they’re investigating it as a possible hate-motivated crime. Members of London’s Muslim community denounced the incident. Nawaz Tahir is spokesperson for Hikma Public Affairs Council, an advocacy group representing local Muslims. He called it “another example of a hate that we’re seeing,” adding statistics suggest it’s on the rise. “Acts of Islamophobia are increasing – not decreasing despite all of the efforts of various advocacy groups,” he said. It also drew condemnation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who wrote on social media that he was “angry to learn” that “women wearing hijabs” were “the target of a violent attack in London.” I’m angry to learn that women wearing hijabs were the target of a violent attack in London, and a mosque in Winnipeg was the target of hateful harassment. Islamophobia kills. Whenever we see it, we’ll confront it — and we’ll work to keep our communities safe from it. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 27, 2024 Advertisement 4 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Tahir said the latest incident, which comes on the heels of an arson attack earlier this year, “represents a heightened level of fear and anxiety in the community.” The blaze on Wateroak Drive in northwest London was also addressed at that time by Trudeau, who called it “an act of hate.” Islamophobic attacks are a concern nationwide, but the issue is especially raw in London: It was roughly one year ago that 23-year-old Nathaniel Veltman was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years for killing four members of a Muslim family, the Afzaals, and injuring a fifth after running them over with his pickup truck at a northwest London intersection on June 6, 2021. Veltman, 23, was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for the deaths of Talat Afzaal, 74; her son Salman Afzaal, 46; his wife Madiha Salman, 44; and their daughter Yumnah Afzaal, 15. A son survived. A judge found Veltman, a white nationalist, committed an act of terrorism when he drove into the family. The Free Press has previously reported that hate crimes jumped by nearly 40 per cent in London last year, with the Israel-Hamas war and clashes over gender and sexuality cited as contributing factors, police statistics show. In real numbers, there were 111 incidents in 2023, up from 80 one year prior and 30 five years prior. [email protected] twitter.com@HeatheratLFP Recommended from Editorial Our London Family vigil: A sense of closure, a call to action Hate crimes jump nearly 40% in London because of war, Pride clashes: Police Article content Share this article in your social network Crime assaultedconfrontedHatecrimehijabprobewoman
Crime The Yorkshire Ripper: A Tale of Terror and Tenacity Posted on August 18, 2024August 18, 2024 The story of the Yorkshire Ripper is a chilling chapter in the history of British crime, marked by a reign of terror that gripped Northern England during the late 1970s and early 1980s. This tale is not only one of horrifying violence but also one of the tenacity shown by… Read More
Crime Detailed conversations underway on the future of Province’s retail crime initiative, says Premier – PembinaValleyOnline.com Posted on October 26, 2024 Manitoba’s Premier says he knows crimes against business are a major concern in rural Manitoba. “We’re listening to a lot of those concerns that are being brought forward,” said Premier Kinew. “All over rural Manitoba, I think we’re all familiar with business owners and property owners that are… Read More
Crime The Thames Terror: Unraveling the Mystery of London’s Most Notorious Serial Killer Posted on August 18, 2024August 18, 2024 Thames Terror London, a city steeped in history and grandeur, has witnessed its fair share of darkness. The cobbled streets and shadowed alleyways of the city have been the backdrop for countless tales of crime and mystery, but none as chilling or as elusive as the case of the Thames… Read More