'Another Bijan Ebrahimi could happen' hate crime warning

Bijan Ebrahimi was brutally murdered outside his flat in Brislington in July 2013

An organisation tackling hate crime has warned of a repeat of an incident in which a man was killed and set alight.

Stand Against Racism and Inequality (SARI) has warned "another Bijan Ebrahimi could still happen" at a meeting of health leaders in Bristol.

Mr Ebrahimi was beaten to death and set alight on a city estate by his neighbour Lee James in July 2013.

The meeting was told vulnerable people are "still getting missed and failed" and hate crimes were increasing.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Alex Raikes of SARI, told members of Bristol's health and wellbeing board changes had been made as a result of the Ebrahimi case, but some people were still falling through gaps in hate crime and discrimination services.

Ms Raikes said asylum seekers, single vulnerable BAME men, trans women in rural areas, and adults with learning difficulties who are living alone were among those who are "still getting missed and failed".

"The truth is, right now, another Bijan Ebrahimi could still happen because we have still got issues being missed," she said.

Bijan Ebrahimi was an Iranian refugee with special needs who suffered anti-social behaviour from his neighbours, who wrongly branded him a paedophile.

When he called police repeatedly to complain, they arrested him, and within days he was beaten to death.

The meeting was told reported hate crime was on the rise in Avon and Somerset, partly as a result of greater awareness and reporting, but partly because of an increase in the number of crimes committed.

In the first nine months of the year, a total of 1,488 hate crimes were reported, compared with 1,782 across the whole of last year.

Ms Raikes appealed for Bristol City Council to continue to fund hate crime and discrimination services after the current funding ends next March.