Attack on Chechen women

Single Incident Alert DateSeptember 28, 2009 Country: Poland Address: Łomża General Type: Racist violence Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-migrant/xenophobia, Islamophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Refugees, Muslims Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Daily life
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin N/A
Victims Gender Female
Victims Age N/A
Victims Number 2
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Polish
Perpetrator Gender Male
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number 1
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

Two Chechen women were beaten in Lomza in November 2009. They were attacked when passing a bus stop. The perpetrator hit them in the face, breaking one of their eyeglasses. He was especially cruel to a woman wearing a hijab, which he unsuccessfully attempted to remove. A verbal assault, with speech such as, ‘Bitches… get the fuck out…’, and ‘Taliban’ accompanied the attack. Refugees and some media feel there is a connection between the attack on the Chechen women and an appeal by Deputy Lech Kołakowski to the Head of the Office for Foreigners to shut down the refugee centre in Lomza. The deputy claimed, using purported opinions of residents, that the centre caused numerous problems and was a financial burden for the city. Three months later, xenophobic leaflets against Chechen refugees were distributed in the town of Lomza. The hateful slogans, like ‘Go back to Chechnya’ were graffitied on a wall.


Source:4lomza  http://www.4lomza.pl/index.php?wiad=19973

Source: Dziennik http://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/wydarzenia/artykuly/112144,w-lomzy-nie-chca-czeczenow.html

Source: Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, report: Racism in Poland. Report on Reserach Among Victims of Violence with Reference to their Racial, National or Ethnic Origin, avaiable at: http://www.hfhrpol.waw.pl/pliki/HFPC_Rasizm_w_Polsce.pdf