USA, girl of color set on fire
investigating on aggression Ku Klux Klan

WASHINGTON – Sharmeka Moffit, a 20-year-old black girl, finds herself in serious conditions in Winnsboro, Louisiana, with more than half of her body burned. The girl said she was attacked by three Ku Klux Klan militants, who would have insulted her before sprinkling her with flammable liquid and set her on fire.

The victim called the police around 8:00 pm on Sunday 21 October, saying they had been attacked and burned by three men but failed to identify. According to a first hypothesis it could have been a terrible gesture by members of the Ku Klux Klan. Sheriff Cobbs Kevin also confirmed that he had found the three letters “KKK”, an acronym that identifies the racist organization that advocates the superiority of the white race, painted on the girl’s car door, as reported by thenewsstar.com on its website .

“It is necessary not to reach hasty conclusions,” said the mayor of Winnsboro, black Jackie Johnson: “I am not entirely convinced that it was a racist attack. We must remain outside the investigation for as long as the police will have need to find the author of this gesture “. The police have not yet verified whether this was actually a racially motivated crime. The investigators have not yet found any trace or testimony to say if it was a casual attack or if the victim was targeted. At the press conference they appealed to the community so that anyone who saw or knew something came forward to provide useful elements for the investigation.

The attack, however, caused a stir, especially on social networks. At first there were rumors that the reason for the attack was to be attributed to the fact that the girl was wearing a T-shirt supporting Barack Obama. The authorities and the family, however, have already denied this detail.

Otis Chisley, the president of the local branch of NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the most known African-American anti-racist association, also spoke of the story. “Let’s wait to understand how the facts went. We recommend everyone to move with caution”. Beyond the outcome of the investigations, according to Chisley, “the racism and activity of the KKK are a sad reality in Louisiana. Here with us it is everywhere, a hidden phenomenon, but that exists”, he concluded.

(October 23, 2012)