UK police charge 5 people over assault on teen asylum-seeker

British police have arrested five young men over an assault on an Iranian-Kurd teenage asylum seeker in south London.

Daryl Davis, 20, Danyelle Davis, 24, Barry Potts, 20, George Walder, 20, and Jack Walder, 24 from Croydon were charged with violent disorder on Monday .

On Friday, the group attacked a 17-year-old asylum seeker named Reker Ahmed, chased him and beat the teen unconscious in what is suspected by police to be a hate crime against refugees.

George Walder was additionally charged with racially-aggravated grievous bodily harm.

Police said the unprovoked attack had involved a mob of up to 30 people.

Police said the group approached the teen at a bus stop and questioned him. Upon learning he was an asylum seeker, they got violent and chased him through the streets and beat him.

“I think this was probably confidence by numbers,” Detective Superintendent Jane Corrigan said, adding, “It started off with this smaller group of people, who were joined by between 20 to 30, and they just viciously attacked these individuals because they were asylum-seekers.”

Scotland Yard detectives have released CCTV pictures of those in the mob they are hoping to identify in connection with the Friday night assault.

The attack only stopped after police sirens could be heard and bystanders intervened. The teen’s two friends got away.

The teen was left motionless with a fractured skull and a blood clot on the brain.

Police, however, said the youth shows signs of making recovery and may be moved out of intensive care unit on Monday if doctors deem his condition not to be life-threatening.

Detectives are trying to find the victim’s family, who live in Iran.

The attack has prompted strong condemnation from London’s mayor and police officials.

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