Police say Connecticut middle schoolers face hate crime charges after alleged involvement in a physical attack on twin Muslim sisters at school in early March.
According to the Waterbury Police Department, the 12-year-old defendant was charged with intimidation based on first and second degrees of prejudice and prejudice.
The alleged attack took place during gym classes on March 3 at Wallace Middle School, a girls' locker room, police said in a statement.
According to a local Islamic group, the 12-year-old pulled a hijab from the head of his twin sisters, abused the pair who were used to school, black eyes around their necks and abused the other.
Investigators determined that “argument was motivated by religion and ethnicity and met the definition of hate crime.” The classification was also confirmed by the Waterbury Lawyer's office.
The Connecticut branch of the American Council on Islamic Relations has determined that the purpose is for a 13-year-old twin student to wear a hijab.
Farhan Memon, a chair at Cair-CT, said CBS News The twins had faced a string of verbal attacks and other threatening behavior since they enrolled in school in October.
Memon said the accused student attacked the twins from behind the locker room and pulled the hijab apart. One student suffered black eyes and several bruises, while the other was cut into a neck caused by an unidentified, sharp object, Memon told the outlet.
“The victim's parents asked for assistance in care because they felt they had not received sufficient communication from the school regarding disciplinary action against the perpetrator or clear plans to ensure the safety of their daughter,” the organization said in a Facebook post.
The 13-year-old student, who was accused of the attack, was also referred to a youth diversion program instead, police said.
As all students involved are minors, their names were not made public by the police.
In addition to disciplinary action, the Waterbury Department of Education has ensured that additional measures will be taken in the future to protect students exposed to bullying, including “enhancing school safety measures in response to incidents.”
