Officers were informed on April 13 of ‘widespread damage’ to 85 grave plaques in Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery, all of which were in an area reserved for Muslim burials. Many of those affected marked the resting place of babies and young children.
Members of the Muslim community in Brent have said the crime has caused “real pain”. Police have now revealed that, while they are continuing to investigate all lines of enquiry, they are now officially treating the “terrible crime” as an Islamophobic act.
On April 15, the head of Hertfordshire Constabulary’s local policing command, Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson, said: “During the initial stages of our investigation we explored several hypotheses as to how the damage may have occurred and for this reason, we had to be mindful of the words used to describe the incident in the public domain.”
He added: “However, now our inquiry has progressed we are confident that sadly, this was a religiously motivated act. We would like to reassure those affected, and the wider Muslim community, that we are continuing to treat this crime extremely seriously.”
The investigation team has said it will continue to liaise with Brent Council, which owns the cemetery site off Oxhey Lane, as they work to identify the families whose loved ones’ graves have been targeted. The council has confirmed that it will reinstate the damaged name plaques once the police have finished their investigation.
Council leader Cllr Muhammed Butt visited the cemetery on Monday, April 14 to talk to grieving families, who he said are “understandably in shock”.
He said: “Hertfordshire police are investigating, and have confirmed that they are treating this as an Islamophobic hate crime, in which 85 Muslim graves were disgracefully targeted.
He added: “There is absolutely no place for hate or discrimination of any kind anywhere, but particularly in London – a city where everyone is welcome, and where our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. Brent Council continues to work closely with the Police and with the families affected to make sure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.”
The police have been working with the chair of the Hertfordshire Association of Muslim Police, Sergeant Irfan Ishaq, to assist with communication to the county’s Muslim community. Sergeant Ishaq said: “Our focus remains identifying the families of those whose graves have been affected so we can provide support and advice, and our partners at Brent Council are assisting us with this.”
He added: “Given the number of graves involved, and the fact that many of the families affected may no longer live locally, we anticipate that this will take some time as we continue to be sensitive and respectful in our work. We recognise that news of this crime will not only impact the Muslim community, but those from all walks of life. There will continue to be a police presence in and around the cemetery to reassure our community and provide advice where needed.”
