Vigil planned for man killed in racist attack 27 years ago
Jay Abatan, a 42-year old accountant, was attacked outside a Brighton nightclub in 1999 while out celebrating a promotion with his brother
The family of Jay Abatan will hold a vigil this weekend to mark 27 years since his death following a racist attack in Brighton.
Jay, a 42-year-old mixed race man who worked as an accountant, was assaulted outside the Ocean Rooms nightclub in Brighton in January 1999 alongside his brother, Michael. He later died in hospital from his injuries.
For more than two decades, Jay’s family have raised serious concerns about how the case was handled by Sussex Police, saying justice has never been delivered.
While Sussex Police initially said the incident was recorded as racially motivated and properly investigated, subsequent reviews uncovered dozens of failings in how the case was handled, prompting an apology.
Recalling the attack, Michael described it as “vicious” and said those targeted were not random.
“All the people that got hit that day were mixed race,” he said. “No white people got hit.”
Two men were accused of Jay’s manslaughter, but the charges were later dropped. They were also cleared of assaulting Michael.
Jay lived in Eastbourne and was engaged to his partner at the time of his killing; together they had two children, aged 8 and 9.
The case has since been compared to the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which exposed institutional racism within policing across Britain.
Like the Lawrence family, Jay’s relatives say police failures allowed justice to slip away.
Sussex Police later replaced its initial investigation team and launched a new inquiry, known as Operation Dorchester.
A further review, overseen by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and carried out by Avon and Somerset Police, again found serious mistakes in how the case was handled.
Although the family were told they would be kept informed, the full report was never released.
In 2005, three Sussex Police officers were disciplined for misconduct linked to the investigation.
Commenting on the case in 2005, Doreen Lawrence said it showed that institutional racism remained “alive and well” in Britain.
The vigil will take place outside Brighton Police Station on Saturday 24 January at 12 pm.
The event is being organised by the Justice for Jay Abatan campaign which is appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Sussex Police said the force recognises the “profound impact” of the unlawful killing of Jay Abatan on his family and the wider community.
“We are committed to becoming an anti-racist organisation through a culture of scrutiny, accountability and open communication,” a spokesperson from the force told Black Current News.
“In 2022, Chief Constable Jo Shiner met the family of Jay Abatan to apologise for mistakes made during the initial investigation, in addition to personal apologies given in 1999 and 2005.”
The spokesperson continued: “We regret that nobody has been convicted of this cowardly attack and the initial investigation has rightly been rigorously scrutinised. None of these independent reviews, nor the coronial inquest, suggested any element of institutional racism.
“We remain committed to investigating any significant new information that will assist in convicting those responsible for Jay’s death.”
People with information about this fatal attack are being encouraged to contact Sussex Police online or call 101, quoting Operation Dorchester.
Alternatively, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report it online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
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