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LONDON, UK, November 20, 2003: The two Britons who broke the icon of Lord Rama at the Ealing Road Sanatam Mandir in Wembley last month have been sentenced. The Brent Magistrate Court on November 17 sentenced Toby Champney to two months imprisonment for “racially aggravated criminal damages.” His fellow Christian preacher, Benjamin Lloyd Jones was fined US$681 for racially aggravated threatening behavior, and set free. The lower court’s sentence has angered the Hindu community and many of them have raised the question of why a higher court had not heard the case. “We do not know why a higher court did not hear the case. A Magistrate’s Court can only award a maximum sentence of six months for racially aggravated criminal damage, whereas a Crown Court has the discretion to award sentences as long as 14 years,” said Venilal Vaghela, Chair of the Hindu Council of Brent. Local MP, Paul Boateng, under whose constituency the temple falls, did not comment on the sentence, but condemned the attack and said, “attacks on holy places are totally unacceptable. My profound condolences go to the community, for what was a deeply offensive incident.” Hindu leaders are planning to meet in London next week to discuss issues of security and prosecution arising from the incident.

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