Thai City worker, 24, attacked and robbed by teenagers in London shouting ‘coronavirus’
17 February 2020, 19:07 | Updated: 24 February 2020, 07:22
A Thai City worker has told how he became the ‘victim of a hate crime due to my race’ after he was attacked by two thugs shouting coronavirus at him.
Pawat Silawattakun, 24, was attacked in London by two teenagers. He told how he had got off a bus on the Fulham Road when he was taunted with jeers of ‘coronavirus.
Another teenager robbed him of his headphones in the broad daylight crime. He gave chase but one of the teenagers allegedly rounded on him and punched him, leaving him with a broken nose.
Mr Silawattakun told the Observer: “Right before the Uber came, I saw the teen who assaulted me on the other side of the road.
“He clearly has not attempted to run away or hide.”
A spokesperson for the Met Police confirmed that they are investigating an aggravated robbery.
“The victim, a 24-year-old man, reported being racially abused by an unknown male suspect in Fulham Road,” the Met said in a statement.
“A second male suspect then approached the victim from behind and stole his headphones, and then assaulted him.
“The victim sustained a broken nose and received hospital treatment. The incident happened at around 5.15pm on Saturday, February 8.”
Mr Silawattakun, of East Asian heritage, wrote on Facebook that he was “a victim of hate crime due to my race”.
He slammed the so-called 'climate of racism associated with the "coronavirus"'.
He said: 'I am not expecting heroism from the average citizen.
“But I will be more powerless if I do not speak up, and ignorant people will start saying it is my fault that I chased him; that I had my headphones on display; and what I expected to happen when I caught up to the perpetrator.”
No arrest has been made and enquiries continue.
