Have you or are you the victim of Disability Hate Crime? If so, please report it.
The Truth about Disability Hate Crime was shown on BBC 2 on 20th January 2021. The film which cam be watched for the next 11 months at the link below, reveals the abuse and aggression faced by disabled people in everyday life, from verbal name-calling to violent physical attacks. Made by disabled filmmaker Richard Butchins and featuring a wide range of testimony from survivors themselves, it asks why this happens.
You can watch the film here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000rh4p/ad/targeted-the-truth-about-disability-hate-crime Click on sign language to see the film with BSL.
Shropshire Disability Network does not tolerate Hate Crime of any type, neither should you.
The Facts:
- A hate crime is any criminal offence that is motivated by hostility or prejudice based upon the victim’s disability or perceived disability.
- Disability Hate Crime is massively underreported as many people don’t know who to talk to or how to report incidents. On a national level, hate crimes are under reported; it is estimated that three in five incidents are not reported. West Mercia Police is committed to addressing this issue by giving victims of hate crime the confidence to come forward and report their experience.
Hate Crime could be:
- physical attacks such as physical assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti and arson
- threat of attack including offensive letters, abusive or obscene telephone calls, groups hanging around to intimidate, and unfounded, malicious complaints
- verbal abuse, insults or harassment – taunting, offensive leaflets and posters, abusive gestures, dumping of rubbish outside homes or through letterboxes, and bullying at school or in the workplace.
- Disability
- Transgender
- Sexual orientation
- Religion
- Individual characteristic that makes someone appear different
- Race (including nationality, national origin, ethnic origin, race and colour)
Any type of crime can be a hate crime. Here are a few examples:
- Physical attacks, Damage to property, Arson Offensive letters, Offensive language and harassment, Offensive graffiti, Threats of attack, Abusive or obscene telephone calls, Arson, Anti-social behaviour and intimidation.
Have you or someone you know been a victim of a hate crime or hate incident?
It is important that if hate crime happens to you or someone you know, that you report it.
You can find out more about hate crime here via True Vision www.report-it.org.uk/home This link takes you directly to the hate crime page to report a hate crime http://www.report-it.org.uk/your_police_force
If you feel you cannot report it yourself, then tell us & Shropshire Disability Network will do it for you. Contact hatecrime@shropshire-disability.net or call 07780 852229