More double standards

Remember this one?

A gang of Muslim women who attacked a passer-by in a city centre walked free from court after a judge heard they were ‘not used to being drunk’ because of their religion.

The group – three sisters and a cousin – allegedly screamed ‘kill the white slag’ as they set upon Rhea Page as she waited for a taxi with her boyfriend.

Miss Page, 22, was left with a bald patch where her hair was pulled out in the attack and was left ‘black and blue’ after suffering a flurry of kicks to the head, back, arms and legs while motionless on the pavement.

None of the defendants was charged with racial aggravation.

A thoroughly nasty attack with serious consequences for the victim, but the offenders were freed. Despite the words used, the attack was deemed not to be racially motivated. In fact, the girls' religion counted in their favour as, being Muslims, they were "not used to drink" and therefore were not held culpable for their actions.

Another thoroughly nasty bit of violence happened last week:

A Salford woman had acid thrown at her in a racist attack as she pushed her baby in a pram along a street.

The 29-year-old was in an underpass on Broad Street, Pendleton, on Thursday when a man in his 40s approached her.

He made a sexual and racist comment to her before throwing a container of corrosive liquid over her.

The victim, who is black, was taken to hospital with burns to her chest and back, and is in a stable condition. Her baby was not injured.

A police spokesman said it was believed to have been a random attack on the woman and it was being treated as a hate crime.

I'm not going to get into a discussion about whether throwing acid over someone is worse or better than kicking the crap out of them when they are lying on the floor. Both are deeply unpleasant acts of cowardly violence and in any civilised society should be severely punished.

My only comment is: why the different treatment?

The BBC seems to have made its mind up about the racist element of the second attack (and I am sure they are right). I wonder what will happen when this comes to court.

As JuliaM is wont to say - one to watch.