Interesting that I tend to watch the news in the morning and the evening, and supplement this with the occasional check online yet I hadn't even seen any sight of this.
Our friendly nighbourhood media love to sensionalise racism, but generally in one direction. Most seem to choose to avoid reporting on it as a priority issue where an attack goes against a white national (probably believing that they might be seen to be fuelling or insighting nationalism).
However transpose the story for cases where someone of ethnic denomination is attacked, and it is over-reported and sensationalised to a point where they almost milk the goodwill and sympathy from the audience as they over analyse and ham up the despair factor .
The way the press, the legal system and our Govt. manage either side of these hot potato issues is so disparate, one sided and inconsistent that they risk dividing a society that could quite comfortably accept multiculturalism if it was handled in a balnaced, fair and reasonable way with consistency across the board.
It seems (and this is said with no malice as I have many non white UK based friends / acquaintances), doing anything other than taking a soft line is almost no longer an option (for girls like these who committed this crime) as our social and justice system seems determined to apply laws with a factored in consideration for your colour or religion rather than applying blanket law that applies to anyone irrespective of religion or denomination, and that is the greatest failing for success of building a multi-cultural society you could ever put in place. Like seriously, what utter cnut determines it's OK to abuse anyone because your not used to booze. Say they'd killed her. If someone did this to the daughter (assuming he has one) of the person who passed these sentences would the penalty have been the same? I think these old duffers live in such leafy green hamlets away from the harsh reality of the 'real world' they have little connection to reality, relevence and become de-sensitised to the job so when someone takes a kicking they get the fine book out. There is probably an unspoken rule that you pass a minimum senstence where there is a risk of any backlash as why would they choose to risk their cushy careers for the sake of a strong decision that only affects one family.
You have to wonder if it is just that we're ruled by idiots who employ outdated laws via the medium of pensionable out of touch legal practitioners who put their reputation above true justice, equality, fairness or respect for human beings who seemingly try to do the right thing. If you're in the wrong every chance is afforded to you, if you generally tow the line they throw the book at you. It's all fecked, just like the banking system, and these outdated establishments are in desperate need of radical reform.