Wednesday, September 9, 2009

New England ADL decries 'hateful' beating of Lynn immigrant



BOSTON - The savage attack on Guatemalan immigrant Damian Merida, allegedly by six Lynn juveniles, is being decried by civil rights groups as a "hateful attack."

Derrek Shulman, the Anti-Defamation League New England's regional director, said Tuesday the July 22 beating of Merida, 30, is an example of how immigrants are singled out for attacks.

Police say six boys, an 11 year old, a 12 year old, three 13 year olds and a 14 year old, severely beat Merida with bricks, bottles and rocks as he slept near the commuter railroad tracks abutting Robert McManus Field in Lynn.

The six, all Lynn residents, have been arrested on charges of armed assault to murder, assault to maim, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and civil rights order violations resulting in injury.

According to Lynn Police Lt. William Sharpe, the boys perpetrated the unprovoked attack on Merida because of his ethnicity.

Merida suffered massive head injuries, internal damage and broken bones and his brother said Merida has brain damage. He was hospitalized with serious head trauma and other e x t e n s i v e injuries for nearly a month in Massachusetts General Hospital before being moved to a physical rehabilitation center in Tewksbury for treatment. The juveniles, some of whom ignited a local furor by remaining active in the East Lynn Pop Warner football program until late last week, have pleaded "not delinquent'" to the charges, posted bail and are awaiting pre-trial hearings



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