No place in Exeter for hate crime

“There is no place in Exeter for hate crime.” That’s the message from Exeter’s Community Safety Partnership. 

The message of zero tolerance comes as Exeter has experienced four incidents of religiously motivated hate-crime within 10 days. 

City Council Leader Pete Edwards said hate crime would not be tolerated and urged anyone who knew anything about the incidents to contact the police.   He said: “These hate-crimes are just not representative of Exeter, a city renowned for its goodwill and diversity. 

“The people of Exeter will wish to see the offenders brought to justice in order to re-affirm our commitment to community cohesion against the backdrop of the ‘Zero Tolerance to Hate’ campaign, recently launched in the city.” 

The first incident was a racially aggravated public order offence at Exeter Mosque at around 8:30pm on Saturday 10 June.  The incident occurred just after the peace walk and vigil in Bedford Square, which was arranged in conjunction with Exeter Mosque.  

Shortly after the vigil, three males attended Exeter Mosque and made racially aggravated verbally abusive comments to those within.  This was witnessed by several members of public who immediately reported the incident.  Within minutes Police officers attended and arrested the males, who are now currently under investigation whilst evidence of the offence is collated. 

Superintendent Sam de Reya, Chair of Exeter Community Safety Partnership, which includes representatives from the police and the City Council, attended the walk and vigil. She spoke of the “Wonderfully diverse communities in Exeter who are overwhelmingly supportive of each other.” 

“This, well-supported, event was illustrative of the manner in which the people of Exeter came together to assert the value of inclusion and tolerance in a united stand against extremism and in support of the victims of both the Manchester & London terrorist attacks,” she added. 

The other crimes are also racially aggravated public order offences, in the form of anti-Islamic graffiti in Polsloe Bridge, overnight on Monday 12 June and in Whipton Village Road overnight on Tuesday 13 June).  Finally, on Saturday afternoon (17 June), a customer was abusive towards staff in the Chandos Deli in Princesshay. Police attended and a 55-year-old man was arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence. 

The Police is asking anyone with any information about the offences to call 101, quoting crime numbers 045855 for the incident at the Mosque, 046898 for the graffiti and 0481123/17 for the Chandos Deli incident.