Muslim student murdered in Colchester, police to investigate 'religious bias' motive

Sky News reports on the sudden death of a Muslim woman who was attacked in broad daylight yesterday morning while walking in Colchester, Essex.

The woman, who was in Muslim dress at the time of the attack, was violently beaten by a man and then stabbed by a knife or other bladed instrument according to the report on Sky News.

The woman was treated by emergency services but pronounced dead at the scene from the force of injuries to her head and body.

A spokesperson for Essex police, who are keeping in mind a possible religiously aggravated motive, send: “We are conscious that the dress of the victim will have identified her as likely being a Muslim and this is one of the main lines of the investigation, but again there is no firm evidence at this time that she was targeted because of her religion.”

Last year, Muslim pensioner Mohammed Naseem Khan was stabbed by a far right Ukrainian student while making his way home from prayers at the local mosque. The incident was followed by a number of bombs planted at mosques in the West Midlands area before the far right activist, who wanted to spark a ‘race war’ was apprehended.

At the time, Chief Constable for West Midlands Police, Dave Thompson, spoke of the muted media coverage of the murder and terrorist attacks saying it would have been a different story if the attacks were targeted at members of ‘another faith’.