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Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime Geraldine Hanna said:
“I utterly condemn the acts of violence we have seen across Northern Ireland.
“We have laws and a criminal justice system in place to bring people to justice when they break those laws.
“Like every right-minded person, I was shocked and appalled by the images I saw last night. Innocent people cannot be held responsible for the crime of this one individual.
“There can be no place for attacks such as we have seen last night. The images we saw of families being forced from their homes by baying crowds were truly shocking.
“There are people here who are deliberately stirring up fear and hatred callously exploiting the trauma and pain of victims to further their own ends.
“My thoughts are with our friends and neighbours who are waking up today afraid because of the colour of their skin. We must provide support to these people in the coming days and months.
“I would call on all our politicians, community leaders and our public to use their influence responsibly to help ensure calm across our communities to prevent further victims.”
ENDS//..