By The newspaper
Feb 22, 2024, 10:04 PM EST
In a landmark ruling, Nathaniel Veltman, a 22-year-old Canadian, received five life sentences for the vehicular homicide of four members of a Muslim family in 2021, marking a major judicial recognition of white nationalist terrorism in Canada.
The tragic incident occurred in London, Ontario, where Veltman deliberately attacked the Afzaal family, killing Salman Afzaal, 46; Madiha Salman, 44 years old; his daughter Yumna Afzaal, 15; and Salman’s mother, Talat Afzaal, 74.
The couple’s nine-year-old son survived, but suffered serious injuries.
The attack, motivated by Veltman’s white supremacist beliefs, as evidenced by his attack on the family for their traditional Pakistani clothing, represents a chilling example of racially motivated terrorism on Canadian soil.
Judge Renée Pomerance, who is presiding over the case, emphasized the intent behind Veltman’s actions and his desire to instill fear within the Muslim community, underscoring the broader implications of the attack for national security and multicultural harmony, according to the network. BBC.
Veltman’s eligibility for parole was set at 25 years, a decision that came after a trial in which the concept of white supremacist terrorism was presented to the jury for the first time in Canada.
The trial and sentencing were marked by an outpouring of grief and calls for justice from the community, highlighted by nearly 70 victim impact statements that illustrated the profound loss and fear instigated by the attack.
Throughout the trial, Veltman’s defense pointed to his troubled upbringing and mental health issues as contributing factors to his heinous actions.
However, these claims were largely dismissed by Judge Pomerance, who attributed Veltman’s radicalization to his consumption of extremist content online.
This case, marked by Veltman’s expression of “deep regret” and the heartbreaking testimony of the Afzaal family’s surviving son, underscores the persistent threat of ideologically motivated violence and the importance of addressing the root causes of hatred and extremism.
Veltman’s attack
The Afzaal family was run over while waiting at an intersection, in an act that police and authorities called a premeditated hate-motivated murder from the beginning of the case.
This act of violence shocked the London community and all of Canada, sparking a wave of solidarity with the Muslim community and calls for action against Islamophobia and domestic terrorism.
Naturally, Veltman faced charges of first-degree murder and terrorism, in one of the few cases in Canada where terrorism charges have been applied in relation to an alleged hate crime.
Keep reading:
· 20-year-old man intentionally ran over a Muslim family on a street in Canada; four of the victims died
· Canadian man is convicted of murdering a Muslim family in Ontario in 2021
· Trial begins for man accused of killing Muslim family in Canada