Last week (Thursday 23 March), Erik Feld was convicted at The Old Bailey for the violent murder of Ranjith Kankanamalage in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park on 16 August 2021.
Mayor of Tower Hamlet, Lutfur Rahman said:
“The violent attack on Ranjith Kankanamalage sent shockwaves through our community and across the country. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
“While I hope this justice offers some relief, we cannot underestimate the impact violent crime has on our diverse community.
“Tower Hamlets is proudly a No Place for Hate borough and we have a rich history of diversity which we celebrate. In recent years, the whole community has come together to oppose extremism, racism, and attacks against Muslims and Jews. Now we come together against attacks on LGBTQ+ people.
“We are thankful for the insight and assistance provided by LGBTAG (Met’s pan London LGBT+ Independent Advisory Group), local charities like Positive East and Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, and individuals who supported the investigation.
“I want to reassure residents that together with partners including the police, we will continue to work to improve community safety, tackle all forms of hate and discrimination, and promote equity, diversity and inclusion for all the communities we serve, including our valued LGBTQ+ community members.
“We continue to encourage anyone impacted by a hate incident of any type to please report it.”
Local resident and ward panel chair, Jack Gilbert spoke on behalf of the LGBTAG:
“This was an appalling attack, which many LGBTQ+ people believe was targeted.
“LGBTQ+ people’s trust and confidence in the police is at an all-time low. We will continue to work locally and across London to ensure that we all get the service that we deserve.”
Posted on Wednesday 29th March 2023