Last week, Aya, aged 16, received a blow to the arm from a man in his late twenties while walking home from a shift at work.
On being asked what could have possibly provoked such an attack, Aya relayed the story in detail: “I was in the high street with my friend and went over to take a photo with someone dressed in a Pikachu costume outside the holy trinity church. When I was walking back to my friend, three guys brushed past me and one turned around and started swearing and shouting things, asking me where I thought I was going. He then punched me hard on the arm”.
Despite initial feelings of fear, Aya gave the man a piece of her mind, shouting back for him to leave her alone and not touch her. Once the commotion had died down and the men had left, she was still left fuming from the whole ordeal.
“I was a bit annoyed about how no one helped me- a girl telling a man not to touch her”.
While it seems that alcohol may have also played a part, the nature of the attack is nevertheless disturbing. Unfortunately, stories like these are far from uncommon around the Hounslow area and attacks of a similar sort are carried out on a daily basis. Only a few days ago, locals were shocked to see an elderly man forced off the bus after having been shouted at and physically hit by a group of school children for no apparent reason.
Concerns have been expressed by citizens of Hounslow for their safety and a desire for sanctioning of such barbaric behaviour.
Noor Qurashi – The Green School
