A couple of mixed ethnicity has shared that they were forced to sell their home after being subjected to racist abuse. The couple, who lived in East Belfast at the time, had no option but to move after a neighbour began threatening to kill them. The man had shouted racial slurs and made it clear that he wanted to harm them. The couple stated that they felt as though the system was against them. They claim that the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) had told them that their case lacked sufficient evidence to be taken further.
The couple reported that the restraining order that had been put in place for five years was breached by someone that they believed to be a friend of their neighbour. They had provided eyewitness accounts and video footage of the breach, but the evidence was not considered adequate. The PPS acknowledged that the decision not to prosecute in the second case was disappointing for the victim; however, there needs to be a reasonable prospect of conviction before the case can be successfully tried.
The couple shared that the current rise in race hate in Northern Island comes as no surprise to them, given their earlier experiences. The man of the couple has experienced what he regards as hate incidents in the past. However, he has received much support from the people around him. The couple is determined that they will not leave Northern Ireland and that they want to raise their son there among the people who understand that racial harassment is unacceptable.
Naomi Green, who sits on the Racial Equality Subgroup on behalf of Belfast Islamic Centre, pointed out that the couple’s experience is not a unique one in Northern Ireland. She cited the lack of progress in racial hate crime laws in the country, and her observations suggest that the concern is not being actively taken up by authorities. People who have been subjected to racial harassment may shy away from reporting the incident, lacking the confidence that authorities will take any action
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