Help the #KingsCross3 resist the racist charges

Charging Black women who dared to call out racist abuse and resist racist violence is a grave miscarriage of justice.

Southall Black Sisters (SBS) are campaigning to raise funds to support our Executive Director, Selma Taha, and her two friends, Divina Riggon and Danae Thomas, fight the racist charges imposed on them by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The violent racist attack

On the night of Friday, 29th September 2023, Selma Taha, Divina Riggon and Danae Thomas were verbally and physically assaulted in a violent racist attack on the London tube train. This included the assailant, a white woman, making monkey sounds at Selma and her friends, and calling them “Black bitches” and “slaves” among other vile racist slurs. The assailant subsequently physically attacked Selma and her friends, pulling clumps of hair off Selma and her friend and biting Selma’s flesh, leaving a deeply embedded imprint of her teeth which necessitated tetanus and hepatitis injections and antibiotics.

An off-duty Metropolitan Detective Constable was present at the scene. However, he did not do anything to de-escalate the verbal racist abuse until it turned into an extremely violent physical attack.

The CPS’ charging decision

A few months later, in a deeply shocking development, the CPS made the following charging decisions:

• No further action is to be taken against the assailant in relation to the assault. In relation to her racist abuse, she has been offered and accepted a caution for racially aggravated conduct contrary to s4A of the Public Order Act, in relation to one instance of racist abuse which she has admitted. No further action is to be taken in relation to other instances of racist abuse by her during the incident.
• Selma, Divina and Danae have all been charged with common assault by beating.
• Danae has also been charged with a racially aggravated public order offence, in relation to alleged conduct towards a white British Transport police officer.
• Divina has also been charged with a public order offence in relation to alleged conduct towards the same police officer.

On Tuesday, 2nd July 2024, the CPS partially dropped the racist charges against the #KingsCross3 due to lack of evidence. These being:

• The racially aggravated public order offence charge against Danae, in relation to alleged conduct towards a white British Transport police officer on the platform at King’s Cross.
• The public order offence, without the racial aggravation, against Divina, again in relation to alleged conduct towards the same police officer at the tube station after the attack.

The CPS still intend to pursue a trial against Selma, Divina and Danae in relation to the charge of common assault by beating.

The trial date has been fixed for 10th, 11th and 12th July 2024 at Highbury Magistrates’ Court.

Why we need your support

By charging Selma, Divina and Danae, the CPS is criminalising the right of Black people, and Black women in particular, to call out racist abuse and resist racist violence. It highlights the many ways in which the criminal justice system disadvantages Black women due to institutionalised racism and sexism and reaffirms our lack of faith in an appropriate systemic response. We need to raise £20,000 to support Selma, Divina and Danae – the #KingsCross3 – in their legal battle against the charges. We have already successfully raised £3,314 and are now requesting donations directly into our bank account for the remaining amount.

We operate in the underfunded violence against women and girls (VAWG) sector. Your financial support will be invaluable in ensuring that the #KingsCross3 can meet their legal costs. Please donate whatever you can to fight this manifest injustice.

Our bank account details are as below. Please write ‘For #KingsCross3’ in the transfer reference when making the donation.

Account Name: Southall Black Sisters Donations
Bank: HSBC BANK
Address: 2 Station Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 4BY
Sort code: 404213
Account No: 81167758
IBAN: GB52HBUK40421381167758
BIC: HBUKGB155M

All funds raised will go towards Selma, Divina and Danae’s legal and campaigning costs. Excess funds, if any, will be ring-fenced for future campaigns aimed at tackling and uprooting institutional racism.