tomziczek
06.02.07, 00:02
Pole critical after street assault
ADRIAN MATHER
A YOUNG Polish man is fighting for his life today following a brutal attack in
a Capital street.
Police today said the 22-year-old, who suffered serious head injuries in the
assault, may have been attacked because of his nationality. Residents saw the
victim staggering down Pilrig Street just before midnight on Saturday with his
face covered in blood.
He is now in a critical condition in Edinburgh's Western General Hospital.
Police believe the man may have earlier been involved in a fight at the nearby
Pilrig Heights housing development.
Witnesses have described seeing the victim being attacked by a tall,
heavily-built white man with a Scottish accent, sparking fears the attack was
racially motivated.
Detective Superintendent Malcolm Graham, who is leading the investigation,
said: "This man has very serious head injuries and he has clearly been very
badly assaulted. However, as we are only at the early stages of our
investigation, we cannot say whether there were any weapons used against him.
"We know this man has been in the UK for several months and has been living
and working in Edinburgh for the past two months.
"We are now investigating whether he was assaulted because of his Polish
nationality and this is one of the main lines of inquiry we will be pursuing."
It is understood the man had moved to Edinburgh two months ago to work in the
building trade. He is understood to have been visiting friends near Pilrig
Heights, and police confirmed that he lives elsewhere in the city.
A police spokesman added: "We cannot rule out the possibility that the victim
may have been targeted for being Polish and that is certainly one line of
inquiry. The victim is very critically injured and it is imperative that
anyone with information contacts the police."
The suggestion that the attack could have been racially motivated has caused
alarm among Edinburgh's large Polish community.
Izabella Brodzinska, chairwoman of the Scottish-Polish Cultural Association,
said: "This is an absolutely terrible thing to happen and I've never heard of
anything like this before.
"I know you get racially motivated cases like this elsewhere in the UK, but
not in Edinburgh."
Local MP Mark Lazarowicz added: "We have a large Polish population in
Edinburgh and, if this turns out to be a racially motivated incident, it
highlights the need for good relations between the existing community in the
city and the new migrant workers coming from overseas."
The council estimates there are more than 8000 Poles living in Edinburgh. Most
of them came to the UK to work after Poland joined the EU in 2004.
A special incident room has been set up at Leith police station to deal with
investigations into Saturday's assault. The suspect is described as 6ft 2in
tall with short dark hair and dark clothing. Anyone with information is asked
to contact police on 0131-311 3131 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555 111.
Źródło: Edinburgh Evening News, edinburghnews.scotsman.com
