Trudeau calls ‘abhorrent’ another London attack on a Muslim family

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By: Beatriz Baleeiro

LONDON, ONT. — London police say a man is charged in connection with an alleged hate-motivated attack on a Muslim family in a downtown park.

Police say that as a result of their investigation, Scott Edward Trinacty, 61, from London is charged with one count of assault. The accused was expected to appear in court Nov. 1.

London police previously said a man was with his family in a downtown park near King and Thames streets on Saturday, Oct. 26, when an unknown man approached them, made “derogatory comments” to the man and assaulted him.

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The man who was attacked sustained minor injuries and didn’t require medical attention, police said.

On Thursday, police published a photo of a suspect who was wearing a black toque, black jacket, dark jeans and light-coloured sneakers. He appeared to be standing next to a blue e-bike. Within 24 hours, police announced the arrest.

Police say the incident “has been determined to be hate-motivated” but didn’t provide any details about why the man was targeted. The investigation has been reassigned to the force’s hate crime officer, police said.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims said in a post on social media that the family targeted was Muslim.

The incident drew political condemnation, including from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who wrote on social media on Thursday: “My heart goes out to the Muslim community in London who have faced repeated acts of hate and violence. The attack this week against a Muslim family in a park is abhorrent and unacceptable.”

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Islamophobic attacks have drawn intense scrutiny on London in recent years, chiefly the killing of four members of the Afzaal family, who were intentionally run over by the driver of a pickup truck while standing at a Hyde Park Road intersection on June 6, 2021. Nathaniel Veltman was convicted of the crime, which a judge ruled was terrorism, and sentenced to life in prison.

bbaleeiro@postmedia.com

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