Woman left needing surgery after racist attack

A woman's been left needing facial surgery after she was subjected to a racially motivated attack in Everton.

Published 18th Feb 2016

Detectives from the SIGMA hate crime team are appealing for witnesses following an unprovoked racially aggravated assault on a woman in Everton.

The 38-year-old had been walking along Thirlmere Road, close to the children’s play area, at around 8pm on Thursday 11 February when she noticed two men stood near to the junction of Ullswater Street.

One of the men shouted racial abuse at the woman and the second man came over to her and punched her repeatedly in the face. The two men then left the area.

The woman suffered a fractured cheekbone, bruising and swelling to her face and will require facial surgery.

The first man is described as white and of slim build with blonde hair. He was wearing a black tracksuit and spoke with a strong Liverpool accent. The second man is described as white, with brown hair. He was wearing a blue tracksuit and also spoke with a Liverpool accent.

Detective Sergeant Jennie Keating from the Force’s SIGMA hate crime investigation unit said: "This was a particularly nasty assault on a woman who was simply going about her day-to-day business.

"It is possible people in the area saw what happened. I am sure the local community would agree that this type of behaviour has no place on Merseyside and I would like to reassure the public that we will do everything possible to find those responsible. "Hate crime is a force priority and we will continue to work hard in giving people the confidence to report it and reassurance that police do take this crime seriously and that it will be dealt with sensitively and, when necessary, robustly. "Merseyside has a range of support agencies such as the Anthony Walker Foundation, Armistead, Victim Support and others that can offer assistance without sharing personal details if that is the wish of the person.

"Information from the public is really important for our investigations and every piece of information is looked into so please come forward if you know anything about this matter.”

Anyone with information about the assault can contact the SIGMA team on 0151 777 4078 or the confidential Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.