Muslim children, like many schoolchildren across the UK, travel home from school using public transport. Hajra* (14) was no different; she boarded a bus home from school with her two friends Fatima* and Khadijah. The bus was extremely packed during peak time and there were no seats available, so Hajra and her friends stood near the front of the bus. At one of the bus stops on her journey home, a lady and her dog boarded the bus. The lady’s dog pounced on Hajra, causing her to scream. In response to her scream, the lady told Hajra to “shut up you f***ing fat N*****”. Hajra and her friends were shocked by the lady’s comment and asked her to apologise. As an argument ensued, the lady dragged Hajra off the bus and punched her several times in the chest. Fatima attempted to defend Hajra from further punches but she was thrown to the ground, causing her to lose consciousness. Khadijah also tried to stop the lady attacking Fatima but was thrown onto a busy road with moving cars, suffering severe bruising to her body.
Hajra reported the incident to the IRU and we assisted her throughout the criminal investigation and proceedings. Prior to the hearing, the IRU briefed Hajra on the court process and how cases are determined. An IRU caseworker also attended the hearing with her, offering moral and emotional support. The lady was charged with three offences of racially aggravated harassment and assault, receiving a sentence of six months imprisonment.