Close on the heels of Indians being attacked in Australia,six members of the community were racially assaulted by a group of young Canadians while playing tennis on the outskirts of Vancouver. Police have arrested four Canadians,including a woman,in connection with the assault for shouting racial slurs at and robbing a group of tennis players in Aldergrove on Friday last. The four - all in their teens - have been charged with robbery,assault with a weapon and uttering threats. The attack began when a group of four teenagers approached six players at the Jackman Park tennis courts. The youths allegedly used a metal bar and boards ripped off a fence to menace the six victims,all the while shouting racial slurs' local media reported quoting police. The players were herded into a corner of the court,and one was hit on the head by a thrown board. Their personal belongings were taken by the teenagers. The B.C. Hate Crime Team is helping the Langley RCMP with the investigation,said RCMP Cpl. Holly Marks. Rodney Mercieca,a 19-year-old Surrey man,and Lesley Rothwell,an 18-year-old Langley woman,have both been charged with four counts of robbery,one count of uttering threats,six counts of assault with a weapon,and one count of assault causing bodily harm. Mercieca has also been charged with breaching his probation. He had been bound by a probation order on June 4,the day before the attack,said Marks. Mercieca will now remain in custody until June 12 when he will be back before a Surrey Provincial Court judge for a bail hearing,while Rothwell has been released on several conditions,including no contact orders with the victims or her co-accused. The other two accused are minors,both Langley boys,aged 15 and 16. The 15-year-old has been charged with two counts of robbery,breach of recognisance,uttering threats and assault with a weapon. He will remain in custody to appear in Surrey Youth Court on June 17. The 16-year-old is charged with two counts of robbery and one count of assault with a weapon. He has been released to appear in court on the 17th,and will be under a curfew and no-contact orders.
