Family critise police after five week delay to launch public inquiry into racist assault

A pregnant Somali woman kicked in the stomach during a suspected race hate attack lost unborn TWINS, it emerged yesterday.

The un-named 34-year-old was kicked in the torso causing her to fall to the ground and cause injuries which led her to lose her babies.

Further details of the tragedy emerged yesterday as it was also revealed that a formal complaint had been lodged against police for delays in investigating the attack.

SEE MORE: ‘Our baby was murdered’ say victims of racist attack in Milton KeynesDespite the broad daylight assault on August 6 being caught on camera, it took Thames Valley Police five weeks to make a public appeal for information.

They finally arrested a suspect on suspicion of assault on September 14, before releasing the 37-year-old man on police bail until November.

At a rally this weekend, the victims’ lawyer, Attiq Malik, said he had lodged a complaint over the delay.

He said: “The family are absolutely traumatised, everyone’s concerned about why it took so long for somebody to be arrested.

“The family are concerned - will there be justice? They are asking about the delay and the slowness of the investigation.”

The attack took place outside Water Eaton Co-op Store in Bletchley last month, as the unnamed woman returned to her car.

Her 30-year-old husband was with was also assaulted when he was hit over the head with a bag of ice and a bottle.

Last week, the woman’s husband revealed she had begged her attacker for mercy during the harrowing assault, which happened just a short distance from a mosque.

SEE MORE: Second anti-hate rally honours woman who lost her baby in racist attackThe taxi driver, said: “Our lives have been ruined.

“My wife does not stop crying now and she is too scared to ever go out of the house, and she is worried that when I go, I’m not going to come back.”

“My wife begged the man not to hurt the baby. She cried ‘Please, no, I’m pregnant’ four or five times. But he did not listen.”

A relative added: “They are suffering so badly. The husband, a taxi driver has been unable to work because he dare not leave his wife.”

Thames Valley Police said an appeal was made as soon as CCTV was available.

SEE MORE: Man arrested in connection with assaulting a pregnant womanThe police confirmed a complaint had been received but also said: “Officers obtained good quality CCTV footage resulting in the arrest.

“This incident was reported as a hate crime and the crime is recorded as a racially aggravated assault.

“It can often take time to obtain and review CCTV, therefore the images are not always released to the public and media immediately.”

The spokesman said the complaint had not been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

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