BPCA Chairman Wilson Chowdhry visiting Tajamal Amer after the brutal rogue attack in October 2017
A year after a vicious assault on a British Pakistani Christian man by assailants left Derbyshire resident Tajamal Amer with a concussion and bleeding in his brain and unable to work, police have yet to lay charges.
The delivery man was attacked last October 20, 2017 as he was at work delivering food. As his vehicle was his primary workplace, he personalised his space decorating it with poppies in support of the British Armed Services and hanging a cross representing his Christian faith from his rearview mirror. Following the incident his church asked him to lay the Remembrance Day wreath during their service (click here).
The attack was initiated from behind by at least three individuals and he was left unconscious before being revived. Mr Amer has had to go to the hospital more than once because of his head trauma and it was a frightening experience for his entire family.
To read more about the incident and watch an interview with Tajamal (click here)
Immediately following the attack Mr Amer expressed a desire to leave Derbyshire and relocate for his and his family’s safety. He has now been in the UK 11 years and left his native Pakistan to flee violence that he suffered there. He expressed disappointment and concern that he was experiencing in the UK as a British citizen what he had in Pakistan. For further details (click here)
Mr Amer said:
“I’m living in the same place, I still feel pain constantly in my head, especially when I try to concentrate, drive, move or bend. I went a few times to see the doctor, but the doctor said it is not good to have too many scans because the rays will impact your health. He also said these injuries can take a year, but I’m still in pain.
“My case for moving house is still open, but the reason is there is no free house because [social housing] everywhere is congested.
“There was someone from anti-social behaviour in touch with me who said that if I move [somewhere else] that is my choice but then they can’t help me because that is a different Borough.”
Mr Amer was given a letter by anti-social behaviour which supported his desire to move his home, but delineated their limitations and restrictions on what they could do to assist him in relocating.
He also received a letter from Derbyshire Homes that recognises that they family have had several attacks, feel frightened and want to move closer to family. BPCA has seen these communications and can verify them, but they are not published for Tajamal Amer and his family’s protection.
Prior to the attack Mr Amer saw three Muslim men of Pakistani decent scoping out his vehicle and showing displeasure at the cross hanging from his rearview-mirror and the poppies he displays on his car which he had used for his job doing food deliveries. This made him feel uncomfortable as they took an intimidating posture with him in the days leading up to the attack.
Later he was told that one of the men had recently finished a prison sentence and shop keepers in the area described violent behaviour as not being out of the ordinary for the group as the shopkeepers had seen them threatened other people with weapons in that area at least three times preceding the attack on Mr Amer.
Mr Amer continued:
“The police told me they tried to get evidence or find witnesses and went to every single shop. None of the shopkeepers in the area have CCTV, but they do have inside CCTV, so in the end they found two witnesses passing by, but they said the couldn’t recognise the faces on the computer when they went to the police station. This is why they dropped my case so soon.”
“All three suspects are free and have not been charged. Two of them are well known to police, according to answers to my own questions in the neighbourhood. The police did not tell me anything about them.”
“After I reported my assault in the media I was and am in danger and I feel threatened here. Immediately after the assault police came and checked my security locks, but I do not feel safe here anymore.
“Basically there were three people who attacked me. When Wilson helped me and went with me to the police, they arrested two people, but later the suspects were released and my case dropped. When I complained to the police constable in the letter, the investigator called the suspects in for questioning.”
A new investigator was assigned to review the case and has dropped charges against two alleged suspects. The alleged suspects were interviewed and simply refused to answer questions other than to deny being involved in the assault. The Derbyshire Police expresses empathy regarding the disappointment Mr Amer must feel at the fact no one has been charged with assault, but said they could make no further enquiries regarding the case.
In the letter Mr Amer received recommending that he leave the area, something he would like to do, he was told there was no financial aid from Derbyshire to help him do so. He would have to apply to the Council of the place he intended to move if he wanted financial help. At the time of this update, Mr Amer is in a quandary, if he applies to another Council will they be required to help him, since he clearly is not from their area?
It seems there is no assistance that could be offered by Derbyshire Council to him and his family in relocating within their Borough either as he has waited a year under very stressful circumstances. For the last year the frightened family have had to remain in the same location as they tried to recover from his injuries. Mr Amer continues to have pain from the incident a year later. Cleary Mr Amer every reason to move anywhere else, but ultimately would like help relocating out of Derby to a safer location.
Wilson Chowdhry said:
“It is travesty that this could happen in Britain in the first place, but the fact Tajamal is not able to move to another area and still receive assistance when he has clearly suffered a crime, is unreasonable. His situation should have been addressed with action and not platitudes with particular concern to his and his family’s well-being. No one should be afraid they are going to be attacked in their own community.
“The sad reality is that Tajmal was also hard at work when this attack occurred, but now he is not able to make a living or finance his own move.
“Furthermore, what has been done to improve the safety and security of the community? There have been no discernible changes in the neighbourhood to make an area that is known to be problematic a safer place to live. ”
Since then a review of the police investigation has raised concerned about failures:
