Police are treating an incident in which a teenage boy suffered serious facial injuries as a disability hate crime.
Detectives are investigating an assault by a gang of youths in the High Street Mall area of Portadown on Saturday.
A PSNI spokesman said: “It was reported that at around 5.20pm a teenage boy was attacked by six other teenage boys, sustaining serious facial injuries.
“We are treating this assault as a disability hate crime.
“It is completely unacceptable that a young man going peacefully about his business should be targeted in this way.”
We are following a number of positive lines of enquiry following the assault of a teenage boy in Portadown town centre on Saturday, 24th February. Did you see anything suspicious? Call us on 101. More here: https://t.co/ZxudgPxPDO pic.twitter.com/IwsxGM3C6N
— Police Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon (@PSNIABC) February 26, 2024
The spokesman added: “We have had a great response from local retailers when carrying out CCTV checks and are following a number of positive lines of inquiry.
“There is no place for hate in our society and we take reports of these types of crimes incredibly seriously.
“We all have a role to play in eliminating this behaviour from our community and we would continue to appeal to anyone who may have been in the area and witnessed anything suspicious to contact us.
“If you have any information, please contact us on 101, quoting reference number 1237 of 24/02/24.”
