New Delhi: After intense criticism following the attacks on Indian students last year, the Australian government says that the attacks were not racial.

Referring to a study, a first of its kind held in the country, the Australian government says that that the rates of assault on Indian students were lower than or on par with the general Australian population.

The study also found that rates of robbery against Indian students were higher than average for Australians in larger states for most years.

It also says that the proportion of robberies against Indian students at commercial locations was approximately double than that recorded for students from other countries.

This, the government justified, was because the risk profile of Indian students in Australia is higher than for other international students courtesy their greater representation in high-risk occupations, especially shift work as taxi drivers and in service stations and convenience stores.  

The Australian government said that the findings suggested that racism was not the motive behind these attacks.

The study, the Australian government contended, was in congruence with their argument that some of the attacks may have been racially motivated but the overwhelming majority of incidents were examples of opportunistic urban crime.

Tags: Australia attacks, Indian students attacked in Australia, Racial attacks, Study on attacks on Indian students