barbados

Attorney charged with hate crime in attack on teenager

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP):

A Barbadian man has been charged with a hate-crime assault for allegedly beating a black teenager with his son, as the victim walked through an upscale Bridgetown suburb.

Mark Goodridge, a 53-year-old attorney of mixed-race ancestry, was charged Tuesday with assault and inciting racial hatred. His 23-year-old son, Simon Goodridge, has been charged with assault.

During the alleged attack, which witnesses said left the 15-year-old boy crumpled on the street, police said Goodridge shouted a racial epithet.

The victim was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.

The motive for the October 6 attack was unclear.