On 1 September 2024 Mr Bhim Kohil, loving husband, father, and grandad was tragically murdered. A 14-year-old boy has been charged with his murder on Wednesday, whilst 4 other children have been dismissed from questioning. The murder took place during the later hours of Sunday evening, as Mr Kohil was walking his beloved dog Rocky through Franklin Park, Leicestershire.
This tragic murder goes onto highlight the anti-social behaviour that areas are facing and what more needs to be done by local authorities to protect their citizens. Especially ethnic minorities, who have continued to be fearful of attack due to the riots that broke out across the country in August.
Before the murder charge was announced today, the public were outraged with the lack of media coverage and style of reporting that was undertaken. As many struggled with the idea as to why such a tragic and potentially racially motivated incident had not been at the forefront of media outlets. Comments such as “there’d be far more outrage about this from certain people if he was called Bill Collins instead of Bhim Kohil” circulated twitter. As did the lack of emphasis in the media reports on the ethnicities of those being questioned for the crime. One woman stated “I haven’t seen the far right clamouring to know the ethnicity of the attackers I wonder why not?”. These drastic differences in reporting led to further anguish online.
It brings into question the weight that news outlets place on stories surrounding ethnic minorities. This issue has been echoed by communities across Twitter. With emphasis being placed on the language used in reports on Mr Kohil, such as the BBC highlighting ‘dog walker’ as his main identity. Instead of the husband, father, grandfather, uncle, or pillar of the community that he was (the BBC have now edited their headline). His family released a statement saying “Bhim loved to laugh. He was always very happy and talkative, the joker of the family and always loved to outsmart us with a smile. Our family have lived in the same house in Braunstone for 40 years, so he was very well known in the community”.
People online have highlighted the lack of backlash that this disturbing murder has brought. Communities blame the lack of media attention for this, as mainstream media outlets are not prioritising the real issues that ethnic minorities are facing within their communities. Examples include statements from Twitter such as “so no riots over this 80-year-old man’s murder. He was a pillar of the community and had employed 100’s of local people in his factory”. This once again highlights the community that Mr Kohil had worked so hard to be a part of. Furthermore, additional statements include “Police suspect that this is a racist attack by these youths, what in god’s name has happened to this country seriously”.
The BBC has had issues with their representation in reporting which is why they came under review in May of this year. BAFTA Chair, Anne Morrison, as well as an independent media consultant named Chris Banatvala, have been given the responsibility to chair the review. This is to asses if a fair reflection of communities has taken place, and what needs to change. BBC Chairman, Samir Shah, says “The BBC must reflect the lives of all classes, communities and cultures across the UK” in the hope to address the inequalities in the style of reporting and media attention given to some communities over others.
Additionally, priorities of the police are being brought into question as it is revealed that Mr. Kohil had previously reported anti-social behaviour of young teens in his area. This took the police 3 days to take a statement on this matter. Could this have been prevented if the police had taken the complaints more seriously and put into practice ways to disperse groups who are causing harm?
Leicestershire Superintendent Dwight Barker released a video addressing the concerns surrounding racially motivated attacks. Mr Barker stated: “The safety of the communities are a priority for us, with regular patrols are being carried out in the area. We have dedicated neighbourhood resources, and we are working with partner agencies to address these concerns”. He hopes to protect their community from this happening again, but much more needs to be done to allow communities and especially ethnic minorities to feel safe in and around their homes.”
