A 17-year-old Kurdish Iranian asylum seeker is fighting for his life after being brutally attacked by a gang of around eight youths in Croydon, south-east London. The victim suffered a fractured skull and a blood clot on the brain in what police are treating as a suspected hate crime.
The attack occurred at around 11:40pm on Shrublands Avenue, as the teenager waited at a bus stop with two friends outside The Goat public house. The suspects allegedly asked the victim where he was from, and upon learning he was an asylum seeker, chased him and launched a frenzied assault.
Police say the victim was kicked repeatedly while on the ground, with members of the public pleading for the attackers to stop. The assailants only fled when they heard police sirens approaching. The teenager was taken to a south London hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.
Chief Superintendent Jeff Boothe, Croydon's borough commander, described the attack as 'frenzied' and urged anyone with information to come forward. Detective Sergeant Kris Blamires added that the victim sustained critical head and facial injuries from repeated blows to the head by a large group.
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation. Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell called the attackers 'scum' and said the victim was targeted for seeking sanctuary. Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott linked the incident to a rise in hate crimes, criticising the Conservative government's response.
No arrests have been made. Police are appealing for witnesses and anyone who helped the victim to contact them on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
