More than 30 arrests made by police investigating disorder in Northern Ireland
Of those arrested, 23 people – including a 13-year-old girl and her mother – have been charged in connection with the violent scenes last week.
The disorder started in Ballymena last Monday after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the town last weekend.
A burnt out house on Queen Street following a second night of violence in Ballymena last week (Niall Carson/PA)
Two 14-year-old boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, have been charged with attempted rape.
A peaceful protest last Monday evening about the alleged assault was followed by attacks on police and properties housing ethnic minorities.
The PSNI described the scenes as 'racist thuggery'.
The disturbances in the Co Antrim town continued for several nights and spread to other areas of Northern Ireland including Portadown, Larne, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Londonderry and Coleraine.
Police said some largely peaceful protests took place on the Shankill Road and Shore Road in west and north Belfast, and in Clonavon Terrace and Waveney Road in Ballymena on Monday night.
In a statement on Tuesday, police said officers investigating an arson attack on Larne Leisure Centre last Wednesday, have charged a 25-year-old man with perverting the course of justice. He was due before Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, police investigating disorder in Portadown last Thursday have charged two men.
A 37-year-old man was charged with two counts of riot and appeared at Lisburn Magistrates' Court on Monday, and a 32-year-old man was charged with one count of riot and was to appear at Craigavon Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson (Rebecca Black/PA)
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said police are continuing to review evidence gathered during disorder, and said more arrests are likely.
'Recent days have been calmer. However, this does not mean our investigations into those responsible for the racially-motivated attacks will lose momentum,' he said.
'We are continuing to review our evidence gathered over the days of disorder and are robustly investigating the disorder.
'We will be making more arrests and delivering justice to those responsible for these racially-motivated attacks and associated posts on social media.
'Our heightened presence in towns and cities and engagement will continue as we work to keep people safe.
'Everyone deserves to feel safe on our streets. So, just as we will seek justice for women and girls who report heinous crimes to us, we will also seek justice for local innocent families who are being targeted by criminality fuelled by hate.
'We will continue to robustly investigate the disorder over the last number of days but do not want to see any more young people criminalised by being caught up in this activity.'
Photos and footage, including CCTV, mobile phone or dashcam footage, can be shared with police through the Major Incident Public Portal at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/PSNI25U11-PO1
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
42 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
‘We are a safe place,' declares Ballymena school named by DUP Minister in debate over absenteeism after riots
St Patrick's College, a Catholic maintained post-primary, was mentioned alongside Harryville Primary School by Education Minister Paul Givan when addressing the impact of the racially motivated riots in the town. St Patrick's is on the opposite side of the town from where the rioting happened. 'It is outrageous that, over the past week, we have been dealing with children who have come into school traumatised, showing all the signs of trauma as a result of what has happened on our streets,' the minister told MLAs. 'Alarmingly, we have also been dealing with children who engaged in the rioting and attacked the houses of children who are in their class. 'It is an appalling and complicated situation that requires intervention. My team has engaged with a number of schools as a result of the picture that we have had to deal with. We have engaged the Education Authority's emotional health and well-being unit and its intercultural education service to try to provide support for those schools. 'Last week, at a number of schools, including Harryville and St Patrick's Primary Schools (sic) in Ballymena, attendance has been less than half of the school. That is a clear problem, complicated by the fact that we are dealing with children in both schools who were engaged in the trouble and children in both schools who were the victims of it. It requires a concerted effort. My team and I are very much engaged in trying to provide that support.' PSNI say Portadown riots had 'more co-ordination' as mutual aid to be deployed this weekend The minister later added: 'There is a recording of absenteeism that occurred as a result of what happened last week. I have the precise figures for the schools in the Ballymena area. 'For example, 84 newcomer children in Harryville Primary School have not been at school. 'The figures for St Patrick's College show that attendance levels are sitting at around 65%. 'We therefore have that information. It will drive the interventions that we feel are necessary in order to provide support to those schools. We have that information about not only Ballymena but other areas. We will certainly use it to inform the approaches that need to be taken to provide support to schools.' A statement from the principal Paul Fitzpatrick and governors at St Patrick's College said: 'St Patrick's College, Ballymena would like to reassure all of our pupils and parents/guardians that this school will continue to be a safe place for them to learn in and in which they can develop as young people. 'As always, our staff will continue to work hard for the education and pastoral support of all of our young people.' Mr Givan said his department is engaging with schools in the area. 'There are only a couple of weeks left in this academic year, and it has been flagged up that that support will be available in September when the schools return after the summer break,' he said. PSNI chief warns rioters 'we will arrest you' Meanwhile, the principal of a south Belfast primary school has said at least three families who had children attending her school have now left Northern Ireland. Hilary Cunningham, principal at Fane Street PS, which has one of the most diverse cohorts of pupils in Northern Ireland, said schools are too often left to pick up the pieces after violence and intimidation. 'Last year, we had a family whose front door was burnt, we also had another family who has been intimidated quite recently,' she told BBC News NI. 'Young lads standing outside the front door waiting for them when they come back in, and this is a woman on her own with two children, two young girls. 'We've actually got three families that have gone to other countries because they are so frightened to stay, and another little child from nursery who wouldn't come into school because the family were afraid to travel to school,' she said. 'It is very difficult to deal with but we just support them as much as we can.'
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Emma Raducanu stalker caught trying to obtain Wimbledon tickets
The PA news agency understands an application from the individual was discovered in the public ballot before being removed by tournament organisers. His name had been red-flagged and was highlighted by the All England Club's security system. Raducanu hid behind the umpire's chair after receiving repeated unwanted attention from a 'fixated' man at the Dubai Championships in February. At the time, the 22-year-old said she 'couldn't see the ball through tears' and could 'barely breathe', while she revealed the situation was exacerbated by her being unsettled without a full-time coach. She had been aware of the man's presence at previous tournaments in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha before spotting him in the stands during her second-round match against Karolina Muchova. A day earlier, the man, who was removed from the court, handed 2021 US Open champion Raducanu a letter and asked for a photo in a coffee shop. He was given a restraining order by Dubai police and his name was circulated around tennis authorities. Raducanu revealed earlier this month the ordeal had made her 'wary' when going out. She told BBC Sport: 'I'm obviously wary when I go out. I try not to be careless about it because you only realise how much of a problem it is when you're in that situation and I don't necessarily want to be in that situation again.' Raducanu had been previously targeted by a stalker, with an obsessive fan given a restraining order in 2022 after coming to her house three times. This year's Wimbledon Championships are due to get under way on Monday, June 30 and will run until Sunday, July 13.
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Emma Raducanu stalker caught trying to obtain Wimbledon tickets
The PA news agency understands an application from the individual was discovered in the public ballot before being removed by tournament organisers. His name had been red-flagged and was highlighted by the All England Club's security system. Raducanu hid behind the umpire's chair after receiving repeated unwanted attention from a 'fixated' man at the Dubai Championships in February. Emma Raducanu is preparing for Wimbledon (John Walton/PA) At the time, the 22-year-old said she 'couldn't see the ball through tears' and could 'barely breathe', while she revealed the situation was exacerbated by her being unsettled without a full-time coach. She had been aware of the man's presence at previous tournaments in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha before spotting him in the stands during her second-round match against Karolina Muchova. A day earlier, the man, who was removed from the court, handed 2021 US Open champion Raducanu a letter and asked for a photo in a coffee shop. He was given a restraining order by Dubai police and his name was circulated around tennis authorities. Raducanu revealed earlier this month the ordeal had made her 'wary' when going out. Raducanu won the US Open in 2021 (John Walton/PA). She told BBC Sport: 'I'm obviously wary when I go out. I try not to be careless about it because you only realise how much of a problem it is when you're in that situation and I don't necessarily want to be in that situation again.' Raducanu had been previously targeted by a stalker, with an obsessive fan given a restraining order in 2022 after coming to her house three times. This year's Wimbledon Championships are due to get under way on Monday, June 30 and will run until Sunday, July 13.
