Race hate crimes spiraling out of control | UTV News

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]Hello, good evening. This [music] is UTV Live. Tonight at 6:00, harassed, spat on, and verbally abused. As race hate [music] crime spirals, UTV speaks to those who say they fear for their safety. All women are talking about being harassed on buses, in the streets, especially women who wear hijab.

[00:00:20]Also, as the health minister says there [music] will be no public inquiry into the cervical smear scandal, there are calls for him to reconsider.

[00:00:31]ICRAR chief, Sir Declan Morgan, hits back at comments that he's running a failed and discredited [music] organization.

[00:00:38]Plus the rest of the day's news, weather, and sports, including feline thirsty. Why not pause for a cuppa in Northern [music] Ireland's first cat cafe.

[00:01:05]The number of race hate incidents and crimes have risen dramatically over the past year to their highest level ever since records began in 2004. More than 2,300 incidents were recorded by police and just over 1,500 crimes.

[00:01:19]>> Those affected have spoken to UTV about their experience of living here. It comes as police investigate racially motivated harassments of a family in Londonderry with muds and water balloons allegedly thrown at their property. Now, you may find some of the language in Stuart Robson's report offensive.

[00:01:41]A summer of simmering tensions, racial hatred, and rioting on full display.

[00:01:47]Residential streets left short of residents. Transport, which was a lifeline to some, burned right through.

[00:01:53]2025 was a A to forget for many migrants in Northern Ireland. Nearly a year on, a chance to reflect on its impact.

[00:02:02]Ballymena is home to a large Filipino community. A community that used its national flag for safety in the midst of last year's riots.

[00:02:12]Some almost called full time on living here. For many, basketball has been a refuge, but what happened is never far from their mind. It's still scary. It's still scared us. Our families will just ring me all the time say they're they're they're just asking me how how how how am I. They're thinking of that moving to another country or another town, another city, or even in London just to be away of this riots.

[00:02:39]No more so than those with young families.

[00:02:42]My baby is like he's still on his recovery. He had his liver transplant a year ago.

[00:02:48]So we're really scared like many we've been through a lot and then this kind of incident like fire and then there's some riots in Ballymena. Figures now reflect many people's fears. Northern Ireland has recorded the highest number of racist incidents and racist crimes on record with incidents rising by 561 and crimes by 320 respectively.

[00:03:12]Racist incidents and crimes have been recorded all over Northern Ireland and of course here in Belfast city center.

[00:03:19]But a short distance away from here, there's a real focus on bringing different communities together.

[00:03:27]In the west of the city, a blend of cooking and different cultures.

[00:03:32]Twazel also runs a support group for migrants. Their stories paint a picture of prejudice. Women are talking about being harassed on buses, in the streets, especially women who wear hijab because of the Islamophobia which is becoming worse and worse. The women uh tell us of being spat or called names of their uh kids, uh harassed in the streets. Like some one of the woman who was speaking to us said that the uh neighbors told threw chips on the ground and told her kids to eat them because they are monkeys. It's really ugly. UTV asked to speak to someone from the PSNI in relation to the latest statistics, but an interview was declined. In a statement, Superintendent Joanne Gibson described the figures as concerning and that police are absolutely committed to making sure hate crimes are properly investigated, victims are properly supported, and that those responsible are identified and held to account. There are also calls for more accountability from Stormont.

[00:04:32]The executive needs to step up and show political leadership rather than going along with these sort of a sort of race hate narratives where it actually scapegoats and blames the victims. An executive framework for race relations is currently out for consultation. It closes just shy of a year since Balmoral burned. Stuart Robson, UTV Live.

[00:04:54]Political pressure is building on Mike Nesbitt to explain to the assembly why he ruled out a public inquiry into one of the most damaging scandals to hit women's health care here. Several parties have now demanded the health minister come to the assembly on Monday to explain why he believes there should be no further probe into years of failings within the Southern Health Trust cervical screening scandal. Well, our health health correspondent Deborah McAleese is with us. Deborah, campaigners have said they're not going to give up, but how likely is it the health minister will change his mind?

[00:05:25]Look, Sarah, yesterday Mike Nesbitt was very, very clear. He believes that the matter has now closed. And he believes that he had taken the right decision. He said several reports have been written into what happened, changes have been made, and he doesn't think an inquiry would provide any more information. Now, his decision was based on a report by the former Welsh chief medical officer, Sir Frank Atherton, who the Minister commissioned to help him make that decision. But there are a lot lot of findings within that report from yesterday that campaigners have statutory issue with.

[00:05:57]But one line in particular that caught has caused quite a lot of anger and hurt is that within the report, Sir Frank said that officials had raised concerns that a public inquiry um would be costly, but it would also retraumatize many of those impacted. Now, Alliance MLA, Nuala McAllister, she said that well, not having a public inquiry has actually retraumatized them. So, here's Nuala.

[00:06:23]Ask them to tell that directly to the families of Arlene and Lindsay who lost their lives and whose slides are misread in this cervical screening scandal. And tell that to the women and ladies with letters who have campaigned for years for truth and accountability. And to be honest, we have seen many times in the past that unless there is acknowledgement of accountability, that there is no permanent change, and that's something that needs to happen.

[00:06:46]Yeah, and so campaigners, you know, they have been saying is what Nuala was saying there that they're angry at the lack of accountability. And Sinn Féin's Linda Dillon said that the only way to get that accountability is through a public inquiry.

[00:06:59]I understand public inquiries can be difficult and there's a cost to them. I do understand that.

[00:07:04]But I'll tell you, there's a cost to not looking after women. There's a cost to not actually addressing the issues whenever they arise because if we don't address these issues, if we don't acknowledge mistakes and not look at how they can be properly remedied and dealt with and there is accountability, oversight, proper governance procedures, then we will pay for it in the long run.

[00:07:25]Nuala, are campaigners looking at perhaps, you know, taking legal action here? Well, I spoke earlier to Andrew McGrady from PA Duffy who is representing some of the women who have been impacted. Now, he said that it is still very early days. They are considering all moves, but he said that the review Sir Sir Frank's review didn't fully examine how failures were allowed to happen.

[00:07:46]Um campaigners they're now now asking how can women trust that lessons have been learned if no one has been publicly examined how the failures happened. And I think it's going to be a very difficult job for the minister now to convince the public that lessons actually have been learned. Thank you, dear Frank.

[00:08:03]The head of the commission investigating killings during the troubles has dismissed First Minister Michelle O'Neill's scathing criticism of the body on the back of a damning review, saying she's done this umpteen times, it's nothing new. Significant shortcomings were raised over financial management, conflicts among leadership, and staff morale. In an interview with our crime and security correspondent Sharon O'Neill, Sir Declan Morgan was first asked if the review into the ICIR was not a clear indictment of his leadership.

[00:08:35]No one could be happy reading this report, and no one could fail to understand the need to respond to it.

[00:08:42]Um the important thing now is that we need to recognize that our staff are our most valuable resource, and we need to respond to our staff by showing that as a senior leadership team that we can deal with the culture issues um that were uh brought up, but we can't what we can't do is fail to recognize the impact this has had upon staff uh and to make sure that we uh acknowledge that, apologize for it, and then uh take the steps to move on. And the impact it has on the credibility of the commission. Well, I think I would phrase it as the impact it may have on those who have come to the commission and those who may come to the commission.

[00:09:30]I mean, I understand that uh this commission uh has people who come to it because they have trust and confidence and what people in that situation can take comfort from is the fact that Peter may find that our staff were people who were committed to the project of ensuring that we provided answers and that they were people of real ability and talent who could do that. So we've got to use that resource to make it clear that the project remains as it was. First Minister says this is a failed and discredited body. She said that only today.

[00:10:10]>> She said it umpteen times.

[00:10:12]I mean this is nothing new in that. But it's on the back of this report.

[00:10:15]>> No no no but but the point is that this is not a new we know that there are people who are not happy about the investigative model as a way of doing this work. There are people who think that there are different models and different ways of ensuring that the work can be done. But ultimately Sir Declan this is about a report that concludes that there is a clear risk things will run out of control in absence of clear unified leadership. You say you regret any shortcomings but surely the buck stops with you. Of course I accept responsibility for it. I always have. I made that clear to my staff. I apologized to the staff for what had happened.

[00:11:00]I I I hoped that the staff would understand the need to focus then on thing on on on delivering from staff or delivering for for victims but I also recognized that we had to deliver for them. And I believe that we have it now achieved a way forward which respects our staff and ensures that issues of disrespect are challenged and dealt with while at the same time ensuring that we actually deliver for the people who need us to do the work that we need to do. We shouldn't be spending time having to spend time on issues of this kind when we could be spending that time on delivering for those who need it.

[00:11:44]The First and Deputy First Ministers have had no response from the Prime Minister following their request to meet him last month. First Minister Michelle O'Neill has confirmed that despite a plea to discuss cost of living pressures directly with Sir Keir Starmer, he has not yet agreed to a meeting. Meanwhile, during separate visits to Balmoral Show, both Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little Pengelly have criticized each other's parties over the latest row around Irish language funding. Our political correspondent, Vicki Hawthorne, reports.

[00:12:17]The Deputy First Minister has been embracing all the Balmoral Show has to offer. Emma Little Pengelly has spent several days taking in the farming showcase.

[00:12:27]Separately, the First Minister was there this morning, too, for a demonstration in life-saving skills. Both Ministers have wanted to show they are listening to the concerns of the farming community, in particular about fuel costs. Last month, they jointly wrote to the Prime Minister, calling for him to meet them to discuss the rise in the cost of living for families. Since then, the Prime Minister's future has been thrown into turmoil as he faces a potential leadership challenge in his own party. We have not had a response from the Prime Minister in relation to the cost of living issues that we have raised directly, but we're going to keep knocking on that door. We're going to keep fighting for people here because people here deserve support to get them through these tough times. What does it mean for our budget though, then?

[00:13:10]So, I think there's a lot of distraction and happening in Westminster, and therefore, we're only able to get into a real meaningful discussion with those that will be able to make a decision actually to increase the budget allocation that we have here. The Executive has yet to agree a budget, which should have been set last month. Ministers insist they need help from London. We do want the situation in London to calm down. We do want there to be, of course, that stable government that we are able to work with. And I've said time and time again that I am willing to work constructively with the UK government, with Treasury, to try to make sure we can get our finances onto a sustainable footing.

[00:13:44]>> The budget, the chances of a Stormont budget diminish with the with the more chaos that there is at Westminster?

[00:13:49]Well, I think it's very difficult. We do need, as I've said, that support from Treasury, in my view, to enable us to get that agreed budget.

[00:13:57]>> may be in agreement about the budget, but their parties have been trading blows over funding for the Irish language, following a heated committee session between the DUP Communities Minister and the Sinn Féin chair yesterday. The DUP are anti-Irish. The DUP work every day against everything to do with Irish national identity. This is a Communities Minister who's responsible for delivering a language strategy, yet now he's taking another minister to court in relation to the Irish language.

[00:14:22]I think there is a concerted attempt at the moment to target the DUP ministers.

[00:14:26]I believe that's because DUP ministers have been delivering. And I think it is to distract and deflect from the lack of delivery within some other departments.

[00:14:36]The divisions are not new, but tensions between the DUP and Sinn Féin appear to have intensified. The ministers insist they continue to work together. Vicky Hawthorne, UTV Live at the Balmoral Show.

[00:14:50]Police are at the scene of a security alert in Omagh. It follows the discovery of a suspicious object in the Culmore Park area. A number of houses have been evacuated to a nearby community center, and the public are being asked to avoid the area.

[00:15:03]Time now to look at the headlines making tonight's ITV News at 6:30. Here's Lucrezia Millerini.

[00:15:11]Coming up on the ITV Evening News, Streeting [music] backs Burnham. The former Health Secretary says Labour needs the best players on the pitch. So, what does it mean for the party's [music] leadership?

[00:15:22]Plus the e-bike rider jailed for 6 years after crashing into and killing a grandmother on a zebra crossing.

[00:15:30]And could it be Australia's year? Pop star Delta [music] Goodrem catapults them into the Eurovision final tomorrow night in Vienna.

[00:15:40]Join me for those stories [music] and more at 6:30.

[00:15:45]Now, the family of an Omar man fighting a terminal brain tumor say their fear funding for his treatment abroad will run out before it reaches the end. Dad of four, Nigel Humphrey, is undergoing treatment abroad after he was told he could no longer be helped within the NHS. His story has touched the hearts of his local community who have rallied around to fly him out to clinic in Turkey. But his sister has made an emotional appeal for support. She's been speaking to our correspondent, Gareth Wilkinson.

[00:16:14]A husband and a dedicated dad of four, Nigel Humphrey, has everything to live for. Nigel is very active man. Loves Never sits down. Never. He's a car enthusiast and is well known locally as a former footballer for his team, Barra Swifts. He um He's very family oriented.

[00:16:36]Last year came a devastating diagnosis.

[00:16:39]The 40-year-old has a brain tumor which has failed to respond to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Nigel was recently told there are no other treatments available for him within the NHS, but his fight hasn't ended. home and have a family we said we can't give up on Nigel. Nigel's not ready to give up. Nigel wants to live for him- himself, his children, you know, for life.

[00:17:03]A consultant in London referred Nigel for specialist treatment in Istanbul in Turkey. It could potentially prolong his life and it has already started. How has he been responding to that treatment? Um yes, I think so far it has been it has been a positive for us. And what are his what are his spirits like at the moment?

[00:17:26]I mean, he's so so positive like he's so positive and he's so strong and brave.

[00:17:33]Nigel's family are thanking the community in Omagh for a massive fundraising effort that has got him this far, but the three-month treatment period costs over 100,000 pounds and more help is needed. He started the treatment.

[00:17:47]>> Yes. He needed to see him get to the end of this treatment.

[00:17:49]>> Yes, we do. Have you spoken to him since he's been in All all the time. Right, and what's he say? What does he say? He says he's going to run a marathon, son.

[00:17:57]Does he? He did, he told me But this is the biggest uphill struggle Nigel has ever faced, a battle he's taking on with the support of his family and his community. Gareth Wilkinson, UTV Live, Omagh.

[00:18:09]Time for sport now. Here's Daniel Duffy with all the weekend's action.

[00:18:20]Good evening. The second round of the PGA Championship is underway. Shane Lowry is currently five over par after 17 holes of his second round. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy had a difficult first round as he shot four over par, bogeying his final four holes. He begins his second round at just after 7:00 this evening.

[00:18:37]Tom McKibbin is also on four over par.

[00:18:41]Meanwhile, all roads lead to Clones on Sunday as the Ulster Senior Football final takes place. Armagh are hoping to lift the Anglo-Celt Cup for the first time since 2008, while their opponents Monaghan are hoping to cause an upset on home soil. Kieran McGeeney's side have lost the last three Ulster finals. The Orchard County are hoping it's the case of fourth time lucky.

[00:19:00]Clones on Ulster final day, it's a tradition unlike any other. Almost 30,000 fans will descend on St. Tiernach's Park on Sunday. It's been a while since Monaghan played an Ulster final at Clones, 2015 to be precise. A dream come true for the players, but they knew they face an uphill task against Armagh.

[00:19:20]>> It was great to get to those final and 21, but ultimately like I was there in '13 and '15, you know, young watching it. And as a child you want to you want you want to get the Clones for an Ulster final day and not Croke Park.

[00:19:32]So, yeah, we're just really looking forward to that. The opportunity is run out in Clones on an Ulster final day as a Monaghan man. It'll uh uh it'll live long in the memory. threats more all over the pitch. They're a seriously athletic team. They're all brilliant footballers.

[00:19:45]Um yeah, it's a big a big task, but look at you we wouldn't expect to be going into an Ulster final and not facing a big task.

[00:19:52]So, we know it's a big task and uh and all I can do is try to make sure that we get the players as ready as we possibly can for that challenge. Armagh haven't won the Ulster Championship since 2008. It's a medal the players are crying out for.

[00:20:08]You don't always get what you deserve in sport. Like so.

[00:20:11]Um so, it's up to us to perform and be ready and um win the game really and you know, the occasional take take on a life of its own after that, but um we'll be looking for a good performance and um taking our chances and and and working hard and controlling what we can control really in the performance and hopefully that'll be enough to get us all that medal, which would be nice. Yeah. performance at the right time and you know, like the one thing you don't want to do is you don't want to peak too too soon and and that's always the the fear and the danger and but you have to just get yourself to a level to perform and you know, once you get to a final as well, you know, you don't go to Ulster finals and you get anything for under performance. So, once you get to a final, you have to play well and you have to be at your best because if you're not, you're not beating a team of Monaghan's quality.

[00:20:59]And rugby, Ireland's women take on Scotland in the Women's Six Nations Championship at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday. Meanwhile, Ulster finish their regular season campaign tonight against Glasgow at the Aviva Stadium. Richie Murphy's side will be without captain Iain Henderson for next Friday's Challenge Cup final after he was handed a three-match suspension.

[00:21:19]And finally, Everton captain Seamus Coleman has announced he will leave the club at the end of the season after 17 years. What a player. That's all your sport this evening. Have a great weekend.

[00:21:37]Northern Ireland's only cat cafe is set to open in East Belfast on Monday, and yes, that's right. I did say a cat cafe.

[00:21:44]Now, don't get jealous.

[00:21:45]>> Don't worry. I prefer dogs. Well, I thought I thought you might. I got to go behind the scenes before the grand opening. Kumiko is a rescue-led cat lounge, and owner Dr. Cara Goold We listen to this, says cats are good for our well-being. And the hope is they will also find, ready for it, a forever home.

[00:22:06]This cat cafe is designed to be the perfect, safe, and peaceful place for cats and customers. It's the only one on the island of Ireland, and it's in East Belfast. Cat cafe is a place that you can come and spend time in the presence of cats. It's really not about the food.

[00:22:26]It's all about the cats. So, just being in the presence of cats is really good for your well-being. It can help to reduce your stress levels, and it's can increase your serotonin levels, which is the sort of feel-good hormone.

[00:22:44]Inside, you'll get to meet 11 furry friends. They've all had their health checks, including vaccinations. A really, really important part of setting this up was the partnership with Belfast Kitten Rescue. If there's a cat here that we we thought would cope, and they're not coping, they will go back to the rescue. And will nobody wants an unhappy cat. So, the top issue really is cat welfare. And who's this?

[00:23:12]This is Jack. Well, does Jack look stressed right now?

[00:23:16]>> [laughter] >> I mean, Jack's pretty chill. Yeah.

[00:23:19]Jack is coping incredibly well with the new environment. Jack knew he was home within 5 minutes, I think. Cats Protection say they take a strong stance against cat cafes. As they say, it can be stressful for the animals. But Karen hopes the likes of little Rosie here will find a forever home because there is an option to adopt a cat if you fall in love. And you will.

[00:23:46]I'm a cat lover, you're a cat lover, and obviously welfare is the most important part of this. But also, these cats need homes.

[00:23:55]These cats need homes, and there are hundreds of cats across Northern Ireland. Our our rescue centers are bursting at the seams. You're being encouraged to book online because there's a limit on the number allowed inside at once. And for those who don't like cats, well, that says more about you. Cats are very much misunderstood.

[00:24:16]I [snorts] think you're right. I think that's very true. I think they've had bad press over the years. In Japan, cats are lucky. Cats are uh seen as, you know, beautiful, sacred, mindful beings. And I totally vibe with that.

[00:24:31]Well, cats and coffee, what more could you want? I have been warned though, I'm not allowed to come home with another cat. Okay.

[00:24:41]And trust me, I was tempted.

[00:24:45]Like, come on, you can't change your mind.

[00:24:47]>> I'll give it a go. You have to.

[00:24:48]>> I like coffee though. Do you like anything?

[00:24:50]>> know. Maybe not.

[00:24:52]Well, then I Yes, let's hope we'll see some sun this weekend? Here's Louise.

[00:25:01]When it's unpredictable outside, you can rely on the comforts of home. UTV weather, sponsored by the Grant Aerona R290 heat pump.

[00:25:11]Hello there. Good evening. It's been a rather dull day with a few showers here and there. Those showers will fizzle out tonight, but into the weekend, we have longer spells of rain, some of which will become quite heavy and blustery at times. Rather changeable over the next couple of days, feeling quite cool and chilly, but it is an improving picture through the latter half of next week with milder temperatures slowly starting to edge in. Over the next couple of days, we have a few weather systems moving in from the Atlantic bringing showery outbreaks of rain, some of which will become quite heavy at times. It's quite a dull weekend, quite unsettled into the start of next week, as well.

[00:25:45]Tonight, it should become drier overnight under clearing skies. A patchy frost will develop across the west, though thicker cloud will start to filter in. Temperatures dropping to lows of around 2° C.

[00:25:56]Tomorrow then, it's a cool and chilly start, quite a cloudy start, especially across the west, but we do have one or two weather breaks across the east. Some late patchy rain pushing through during the first part of the day.

[00:26:06]Then we have the next area of rain edging in during the afternoon. The winds will pick up in the heaviest downpours. Elsewhere, winds will remain fairly light. Temperatures disappointing for this time of year, highs of just 11 or 12° C.

[00:26:19]Across the rest of Ireland, it's a dull and dismal day, a few outbreaks of rain edging in during the afternoon, but it will slowly start to brighten up later in the day with some late spells of sunshine. Temperatures reaching highs around 12 or 13° C.

[00:26:35]Looking ahead then for the next couple of days into the start of next week, rather changeable. Further outbreaks of rain on Monday. The winds will pick up Monday night into Tuesday, becoming quite blustery, but we do have some drier weather from Wednesday onwards.

[00:26:49]UTV weather, sponsored by the Grant Aerona R290 heat pump.

[00:27:01]Making the most of summer, Perry sponsors UTV pollen count.

[00:27:08]And due to the unsettled conditions over the next couple of days, pollen levels will remain low. Some good news for anyone with hay fever. That's my latest.

[00:27:15]Have a lovely evening. Bye-bye for the night.

[00:27:22]Well, that's it for UTV Live on Friday the 15th of May. Pamela is coming up with UTV Live at 7:00. Yes, Eden Brolly will have the late news at half past 10:00 later tonight. So, from Jordan and myself and the team here, [music] have a lovely weekend.

[00:27:35]>> Bye-bye.