COLUMBUS — In a press conference, the Columbus and Cincinnati Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), United Bantu of Ohio, and partner organizations lamented the lack of action from the Columbus Division of Police following a violent hate crime on March 20, and called for an immediate response.
On the same day, the Columbus Dispatch revealed new details about the poor investigation conducted by the Columbus Division of Police. The entire attack was captured on video, including the physical assault against Faith*, an Ohio mom, and a death threat made against her entire family. Faith immediately contacted the police, who came and interviewed the assailants — but made no arrests.
The attackers are known to the victim, the police, and the apartment complex, which forced the individuals to move out. The entire ordeal was captured on video. The assailants even showed their anti-immigrant bias in a post-assault interview with police, saying that Faith addressed them “in whatever (expletive) language she speaks.”
Three weeks later, the victim and her community are still waiting for arrests to be made. Faith, the victim, and the leaders supporting her are shocked that no charges have yet been filed.
Community leader Anisa Liban emceed the press conference. Speakers were:
- Khalid Turaani, Executive Director of CAIR-Ohio’s Columbus and Cincinnati Chapter
- Deqa Haji, Executive Director of Zamzam Women & Family Center
- Lynn Tramonte, Executive Director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance
- Ali Hussein, President of United Bantu of Ohio
Their demands of the Columbus Police include:
- Fully prosecuting the assailants with appropriate charges for this hate crime.
- Subpoenaing and reviewing all available CCTV footage from apartment complex and surrounding businesses.
- Ensuring that law enforcement officers receive proper training in cultural competency and sensitivity, to better serve our diverse community.
*We are using an alias to protect the family’s identity.
