“Gangs of teenagers throw stones and eggs at our windows and on our doorsteps every day”

A family from Netherley, Liverpool, live in a state of constant fear as they regularly face attacks and racial abuse from teenage gangs.

Fatmata and Umair Habib, who moved from London to Liverpool eight years ago, were terrorized by masked youths who loitered outside their house, threw rubbish in their driveway and pelted their windows with stones and eggs. The couple's 13-year-old son, who has autism and asthma, was also attacked several times while walking home from school.

Despite raising the issue with Merseyside Police and Riverside Housing Association, Ms Habib, 35, says not enough is being done to keep her family safe.

The mother of five shared her plight: “The abuse has been going on for over four years. When we moved here everything was fine, we have lovely neighbors. We are the type of people who mind our own business.

“We both work full time at Aintree Hospital. But the children started kicking over our bins and throwing rubbish on the driveway.”

“They throw stones or eggs at our windows and doors every day. We hear the boom when we are inside. We brought a camera to cover the front of the house. We called the police who said she needed proof, but we showed them the footage, but nothing is done. For them, it's like watching a movie, but it's our reality.

She also said she had informed Merseyside and Riverside Police of at least one address where a teenager suspected of involvement lives. She said Riverside promised to send tenancy warning letters, which the ECHO said were actually sent, although no other evidence linked this youth or any other individual at Riverside properties to the harassment in progress, reports the Liverpool Echo.

The ECHO viewed several videos captured by the family's front camera, revealing hooded youths loitering and throwing objects at the house. These recordings date back to 2021.

During the Easter holidays, a gang of masked youths terrorized a family by relentlessly banging on their front door while Ms Habib was home alone with her children, her husband being at work. She told how her terrified children shouted “stop, you're scaring us” before police arrived almost three hours later.

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Ms Habib, who is of African descent and married to a Pakistani man, revealed they were subjected to repeated racist abuse in the streets. Additionally, she revealed that her eldest son suffered physical attacks while returning from his after-school club, including being “spit on and choked until he couldn't breathe.”

Merseyside Police admitted receiving a complaint about the assault in January. Although her son took a photo of the attackers, Ms Habib expressed frustration that no action was taken.

The distressed family sought help from the Anthony Walker Foundation and contacted the office of local MP Maria Eagle.

Overwhelmed by stress, Ms. Habib was forced to take a three-month leave of absence from work. Speaking to the ECHO, she shared: “I can't think, I can't sleep. I'm so scared thinking about what's going to happen. My family in London are so scared. I I have a job I love, my husband loves it.” his work, my children love Liverpool.”

A representative for Riverside told the ECHO: “We are very sorry to learn of the Habib family's distress following reports of harassment in their community. At Riverside, we have a zero-tolerance policy toward discriminatory comments or actions that could create a hostile environment. and do not tolerate behavior that prevents our customers from feeling safe in their neighborhood.

“We want to reassure the family that we continue to take their concerns seriously and are doing everything we can to support them, including working closely with the local police who are overseeing their case and liaising with the other agencies involved. Our dedicated housing team have also been carrying out a review of the family's situation, and we will contact you to arrange a home visit to discuss other ways in which we can help them.

“We understand that unfortunately the police have not yet identified those involved in the incidents reported by the Habib family, but we will continue to support their investigations wherever possible and act on their findings accordingly. Our team is available to anyone with concerns about antisocial behavior, but we ask that you call 999 in an emergency or to report incidents of hate crime.

Merseyside Police Detective Inspector Jemma Berry said: “We have studied CCTV footage, spoken to witnesses and carried out extensive inquiries to identify the offenders. We continue to work with the family and have appealed to the Anthony Walker Foundation to provide support. “

“Our specialist hate crime coordinator is also in regular contact with the family, and multi-agency meetings are held regularly to discuss further support for the family, and this work continues. In Merseyside, we believe that everyone should be able to live their lives without fear of verbal or physical violence.”

“We are committed to fighting hate in our communities and strongly encourage all victims to come forward and report such incidents. When we identify a crime, we take strong action and offer support from partner agencies to ensure the person reporting receives the help they need. need to feel safe. »

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