13-year-old girl in hijab called terrorist, attacked in US hate crime

The girl reportedly told police that the man tried to twist her arm and placed a knife against her arms. He then removed her headscarf and placed a hand over her mouth when she tried to scream.

A 13-year-old girl in a headscarf was attacked in the US state of Virginia and police are treating the incident as a hate crime.

The accused reportedly attacked the girl while she was walking alone and fled after a motorist stopped by. (Reuters/File Photo)

Police officials said they believed the girl was targeted “because of her religious attire”, according to a Washington Post report on Tuesday.

The incident took place on April 6 while the teenager was walking in the Woodbridge area. She was confronted by a stranger who swore at her and seized her arm.

According to police, the girl reported that the man tried to place her arm behind her back and then placed a small knife against her arms while calling her a “terrorist”.

The man then removed the girl’s headscarf and placed a hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. He fled after a motorist came by and saw what was happening, police said.

They said the girl suffered minor injuries.