Washington state prosecutors are charging two teenage boys with hate crimes for allegedly beating a 13-year-old Muslim schoolmate while ordering him to perform religious prostrations.
The Daily Herald reported Friday that the charges filed in Snohomish County Superior Court accuse the 15- and 13-year-old boys of dragging the Muslim boy by his pants and shirt to multiple locations while they pummeled him for an hour.
Prosecutor Adam Cornell said in an email that they are the first such charges filed in Snohomish County since the state Legislature renamed bias-motivated incidents as hate crimes in 2019, citing a “compelling state interest” to combat a rise in reports.
Deputy prosecutor Hayley Bigoni wrote in the charges that the Muslim boy, who eventually escaped, was later treated for bruises and a concussion at a local hospital.
Prosecutors say the teenagers recorded the beating as the 13-year-old ordered the Muslim child to kiss his shoes while prostrating in imitation of Islamic prayer. They allegedly threatened to kill the boy’s family if he told anyone.
The teenagers have been charged with second-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment in addition to a hate crime.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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