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Family 'terrified' after racist attacks

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Family 'terrified' after racist attacks
An Indian family living in the New Lodge area of north Belfast have told UTV they want to leave their home after being targeted in racist attacks every weekend since they moved in five years ago.

The Kunjumon family said they are scared someone will be seriously injured or killed.

In the latest attack on Monday night, the patio doors of the house were damaged.

The property is regularly pelted with bottles, stones, eggs and even potatoes which are hurled by youths from the top of their shed.

Describing the latest incident, Lyochen Kunjumon told UTV he thought it sounded like a shooting.

"I heard a very big sound like shooting or something like that. A very big sound," he said.

"And I came down and put the light on and there was nothing in the kitchen. Then I heard the sound of glass pieces dripping like drip, drip, drip. Then I opened the blind and found this (the glass of the patio doors) was cracked."

Badly shaken by the attacks on the family home, Mr Kunjumon said he believes they are being targeted by racists.

He said: "They think that I am a foreigner. Some gang doesn't like to have a foreigner here or something like that. So they targeted my home and one by one they chase me out of it."

The family have applied to move out under the SPED scheme which helps people who are being intimidated leave their homes, but they said the police will not issue the required certificate.

"There is nothing life threatening or anything so if they want to give something, someone must die in our home, then maybe they will give the appropriate certificate. I think so," said Mr Kunjumon.

A local Sinn Fein MLA told UTV people living in the New Lodge are appalled by the repeated attacks.

"People in the New Lodge aren't racist. They are supportive of the Kunjumon family", Caral ni Chulin said.

"What we need is for these attacks to stop, the PSNI at a local level to arrest the people who are responsible, put them in front of the courts and what we need is for the Chief Constable to issue a certificate so that this family are eligible for the SPED scheme."

The PSNI told UTV the Chief Constable will make an assessment on the information they have.

But Mr Kunjumon, who said his wife is afraid to walk to the Mater Hospital where she works as a nurse, now insists they will move back to India once their two sons have graduated from University.

© UTV News

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At 17:08 on 18 December 2009, Richard wrote:
Yet another among so many racist incidents in Northern Ireland. It is utterly disgraceful. The community itself has to help stamp this out; hand wringing will not do so, especially as it seems endemic in Northern Ireland. An ulsterman thankfully living England.
At 21:33 on 17 December 2009, LJ McKee wrote:
Disgusting! Racism must stop! We don't want this in out communities!
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