Man wrongly accused of paedophilia burned to death
The West Australian November 4, 2013, 8:11 am
Man wrongly accused of paedophilia burned to death
Three police officers in the UK have been suspended after a man disabled wrongly accused of being a paedophile was burned to death by vigilantes.
Bijan Ebrahimi was arrested after a neighbour reported that he had been taking photographs of children from his kitchen window, according to a report in The Telegraph.
When officers arrived at the 44-year-old Iranian's house, residents on the Bristol estate chanted "paedo'.
The Telegraph reports that Mr Ebrahimi was later released without charge after it transpired that the keen gardener had been gathering evidence of youths damaging his flowers. He intended to give the pictures to the police, having also called them on the day he was arrested.
Despite the hostility towards Mr Ebrahami on the estate, the police returned Mr Ebrahimi to his home.
Two days later, a neighbour, Lee James, 24, attacked Mr Ebrahimi, while another neighbour, Stephen Norley, also 24, helped drag his body into a courtyard where James set him alight.
Lee James was arrested for allegedly attacking disabled man Bijan Ebrahimi who was mistaken for being a paedophile. Photo: SWNS.
The Independent in London reports it was not known whether he was dead before the white spirit that doused him was lit.
Both men have admitted the attack and will be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court next month.
Mr Ebrahimi's family have criticised police for not doing more to protect him.
"It should not be forgotten that Bijan had been the victim of hate crimes for a number of years before his death, both due to his race and his physical disability," they told The Independent.
Stephen Norley admitted assisting an offender after a murder charge was dropped. Photo: SWNS.
"It was for this reason that the police should have taken especially seriously his calls for help in the days before he was murdered.
"We hope that not only James and Norley will face justice but also all of those who failed to protect Bijan, including the police."
The officers have been suspended from their jobs and warned that they could be charged with gross misconduct.
