Alleged Racist Abuse Victim 'Disappointed & Hurt' by Man Utd Denial as Witnesses Come Forward
By Ben Carter
The mother of an alleged racist abuse victim has been left'"surprised, disappointed and hurt' by Manchester United's lack of support for their 19-year-old employee.
Kamarl Nelson, who has worked at United for six years, was apparently assaulted in a racially-aggravated incident involving the club’s security guards before a Europa League game last month.
Police have opened an investigation into the incident, where Nelson was allegedly called a 'slave' during an altercation as he tried to get to his job at Old Trafford, which left the 19-year-old with a fractured eye socket.
Nelson's mother, Donna James, told the Guardian: "I thought once [Manchester United] recognised his affiliation to the club they would have come forward and might even have come round and seen us as a family. They might have had a chat with Kamarl and offered him personally some reassurance that they were looking into it. But none of that has happened.
"That’s really disappointing because Kamarl has really fond memories of being at United from being young and doing things there. He really enjoyed his time as a ballboy there. It’s really hurtful that they haven’t put more of a human response to it."
A number of witnesses have come forward to the newspaper, typically identifying Nelson as the victim rather than the aggressor.
Controlled Solutions Group (CSG), who run the security at Old Trafford have denied the allegations, while Manchester United have said they are reviewing CCTV evidence from outside the ground.
"We have been in touch with the family on a number of occasions since the alleged incident and have reiterated our commitment to fully cooperating with the police investigation," a club spokesperson said.
"We have provided CCTV footage and other information as part of their enquiry and would encourage any witnesses to contact the police. We await the outcome of that investigation."
Despite working at United for six years and having previously been part of their development squad, Nelson apparently hasn't received any support from the club following the incident last month.
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