Opinion

Disgust over racist abuse in Belfast

It is appalling that two 17-year-old girls could be subjected to foul-mouthed and racist abuse by a woman passer-by in the very heart of Belfast city centre.

Video footage of the weekend outbursts, directed against the teenagers who are originally from Eritrea and Sudan, has been widely circulated on social media.

A police investigation is under way, and it is important that the perpetrator, who is thought to be in her late teens or early 20s, is traced and brought before the courts.

However, it is even more essential for the victims to understand that the vast majority of people here wish to offer them the hand of friendship and are disgusted by the ordeal they endured outside the City Hall.