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Sikh man stabbed, injured in suspected hate crime in Canada
Toronto police are investigating a suspected hate-motivated stabbing of a Sikh man by an unidentified assailant who made racial slurs during the attack.
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Police in Toronto are seeking an unidentified person who stabbed a Sikh man on Saturday in what was described as a suspected hate motivated assault.
In a release issued on Monday, Toronto Police Service sought the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect and released a photograph as well in that regard.
On Saturday, police responded to a call related to a person with a knife. Toronto Police said that the suspect approached the victim and a witness during an “unprovoked interaction”, proceeded to make “anti-Sikh utterances and racial slurs” and then allegedly attacked the victim with a weapon.
The victim was stabbed in the thigh and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect was described as 5 feet 6 inches tall male with black hair. “This investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence,” the Toronto Police statement said.
When suspected hate-motivated offences are reported to police, the investigation is led by the force’s Hate Crime Unit. If it is alleged a criminal offence was committed (such as assault or mischief) and it is believed to have been motivated by bias, prejudice or hate, the officer-in-charge may consult with the Crown, which is what the prosecutor is called in Canada. If a person is charged and convicted of the offence, the Judge will take into consideration hate as an aggravating factor when imposing a sentence, the statement elaborated.
“Wilful promotion of hatred and advocating genocide are hate propaganda (hate speech) offences which require the Attorney General’s consent to lay charges. These charges are often laid at a later time,” it added.
This incident was the latest in a series that appear to be hate-motivated attacks, verbal and otherwise, on persons of Indian origin as anti-immigration sentiment has surged in Canada as policies under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau led to historic numbers of newcomers entering the country. With India the largest source country for immigrants, those from there have borne the brunt of the negativity, with Sikhs suffering the most as the most visible among them. Matters have become aggravated in the last couple of years due to the influence of anti-immigrant rhetoric from the Administration of US President Donald Trump.
