Race attack: victim's neck slashed with broken bottle (From Thisisdorset)

Race attack: victim's neck slashed with broken bottle

9:15am Monday 10th September 2012 in Latest By Arron Hendy

 A YOUNG Libyan was slashed across the neck in a racist attack on his way home from work.

Waled Khalfa, who moved to Bournemouth two years ago, was walking home alone when a man shouted abuse at him and cut him with a broken bottle.

He was struck again and his attacker had to be pulled away from inflicting more damage as the 23-year-old victim lay on the floor.

Waled managed to get to his feet and needed five stitches in hospital after he pulled a piece of glass from the wound.

“I was walking past these guys and one of them was looking at me and giving me bad looks,” He said.

“He had a broken bottle in his hand and said ‘paki’ and swore at me.

“He hit me across the neck and was close to killing me.

“A piece of glass was lodged inside my neck.”

Waled fell to the floor close to the corner of St Paul’s Road and Oxford Road, not far from the train station, and his arm was injured as he was struck with the bottle again.

“He hit me with the bottle once more and I heard his friend say ‘cracking day’ and he was smiling.

“The man was going to hit me again but his friend stopped him.”

Waled lives in the town centre and is working as a labourer to save for university.

He was attacked by a man he believes was sat drinking in St Paul’s Road, with a group of other men.

Waled does not want to take action with the police as he is scared about seeing his attacker again.

But he wanted to talk about his ordeal as he fears racism is becoming more of a problem this year.

“I want to get the message out there that people need to think,” he added.

His friend Mamoun Diab, 33, said he moved to Bournemouth 11 years ago from Jerusalem and said he has noticed a change.

He said: “I used to go out at night and people would always be friendly but now people look at the colour of your skin and if they hear strange language they swear at you.

“I don’t know why it’s like that now.”

Waled urged not to suffer harassment and abuse in silence

ADNAN Chaudry, chief officer for the Dorset Race Equality Council, has urged Waled Khalfa not to suffer in silence.

“We want to help people who’ve been attacked, harassed and abused because of their race.

“And we want to ensure they are supported through the legal process.

“He should not be afraid to report it to us and when people have been physically attacked like this then they should dial 999 so the perpetrators can be caught.

“They should not suffer in silence.”

Mr Chaudry feels that economic factors may impact on levels of racism.
He said: “Our intelligence suggests that with the recession some may look to blame others for their plight.

“Some of our new communities have said they are subjected to abuse like ‘go back to Poland’.”

The Dorset Race Equality Council can be contacted by phone on 01202 392954.