People from all ethnic groups, including those of Indian origin, are found to have been involved in last year's London riots contradicting the widespread impression that only Afro-Caribbean groups and white working class youth were behind the violence.
According to official figures, 24 people who described themselves as “British-Indian” are among those being tried for the riots sparked by the death in police shooting last August of Mark Duggan, an African youth, in the racially sensitive north London suburb of Tottenham. Property worth millions of pounds was looted or destroyed. Some businesses owned by the British Indian community were also attacked.
Eleven of the 24 have been convicted of various offences and jailed, while 12 are awaiting the verdict. One was acquitted.
A break-up of figures released by the Ministry of Justice shows that six per cent of those charged over the riots identified themselves as belonging to the Asian ethnic group. Most of the alleged offenders — 41 per cent – were white , 39 per cent from African/Afro-Caribbean ethnic group, 12 per cent mixed ethnic group and two per cent Chinese or other ethnic group.
Justice Minister Crispin Blunt said the courts, judges and the probation and prison services had “worked hard to make sure that those who attacked their own communities during the public disorder last August have faced justice quickly.”
“They played a key part in stopping the riots from spreading further by delivering swift and firm justice, and these statistics make clear that the disgraceful behaviour innocent communities endured last summer is wholly intolerable,” he said.
