A report has revealed evidence of institutional racism in the way police and a local authority dealt with the murder of a disabled Iranian refugee in Bristol.
The Safer Bristol Partnership found a “collective failure” by Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol City Council in the case of Bijan Ebrahimi, and said there was “evidence of both discriminatory behaviour and institutional racism.”
The Iranian refugee was set on fire by his neighbour, Lee James, in a fatal attack at his Brislington home on 14 July 2013.
His murder followed years of abuse from abusers, who mistakenly believed him to be a paedophile.
Lawyers for Mr Ebrahimi’s family emphasised the significance of the finding of institutional racism against a police force – the most explicit since the publication in 1999 of Sir William Macpherson’s landmark report on the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence – and the first of its kind against a local authority.
The review, which was ordered by the Safer Bristol Partnership executive board, said police and the council displayed a “distinct lack of understanding” of Mr Ebrahimi’s plight and thus “unwitting prejudice against him”.
It concluded that more account should have been taken of Mr Ebrahimi’s isolation and vulnerability, and that there was “evidence of discriminatory behaviour and institutional racism on the part of Bristol city council and Avon and Somerset constabulary.”
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Avon and Somerset police have apologised to Mr Ebrahimi’s family.
A police spokesman said: “We recognise and fully accept the findings. We’d like to reiterate our sincere apologies to Mr Ebrahimi’s family, who’ve shown great courage throughout.
“We failed him when he needed us the most and for that we’re extremely sorry.”
Marvin Rees, the mayor of Bristol, said: “On behalf of Bristol city council we sincerely and wholeheartedly apologise for the failings in the council’s treatment of Bijan Ebrahimi leading up to his tragic death in July 2013.
“We appreciate that no amount of lessons learned or changes in practice can possibly mitigate the impact this had on Bijan and his family.”
