Dark-skinned students attacked in Lutsk

A group of dark-skinned students, who are studying in East European National University, were attacked and beaten by unknown people on the evening of August 3 in Lutsk of the Volyn region. Three victims were hospitalized as a result.

As reported by the press service of the National Police of Volyn region to the Volynsky Novyny (News of Volyn) publication, a massive fight occurred on August 3 at about 9 p.m. As a result, at the very least two dark-skinned guys aged 25 and 26 were hospitalized. One of the victims is from Namibia.

The police reported that the victims refused to be hospitalized and were released after receiving medical assistance.

In the story published by the Volynsky Novyny, students have reported that six of them were walking in the Central Park of the city in the evening. An unknown man caught up with them and hit one of the students from behind. The latter has not reacted and kept walking. But the attacker would not calm down and continued bullying and interfering. When he was pushed way, the attacker took out the phone and another 10-15 men came to his aid.

Students were forced to flee from the park. Attackers caught up with them at the main building of the Lesya Ukrainka National University and a fight broke up.

Dark-skinned student Marta said that three of her friends were knocked to the ground and were beaten by hands and feet.

Other witnesses also confirm the mass nature of the fight, describing attackers as young men of athletic build and part of which was in shorts with bare torsos.

Students are afraid of new manifestations of aggression, since attackers have shouted: “Black men!”, which indicates the racist nature of the attack.

They say that this is not the first attack. There have been attacks before. Marta notes that she feels uncomfortable because of the special attention of the locals to the dark-skinned people.

“We don’t understand why this is happening. We are students who have paid for their education. After completing the education we return to our countries”, – they say.

At the same time, interlocutors of the Volynsky Novyny noted that not all people are bad. When attackers were beating students, there were passers-by who stood up for students and joined the fight.

As for attackers, the incident witnesses believe that they belong to a certain group. They were all dressed in black T-shirts and were athletically built.

Law enforcement officers have initiated criminal proceedings on this fact under Article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (hooliganism). Measures are being taken to identify the perpetrators of the attack.