Hate crime towards disabilities
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong discussion, but wasn't sure where to post it.
It's concerning a neighbour who said to my disabled friend.." Go and find a job instead of sitting down all day"
Apparently, the local police informed her that they will do nothing about this.
I have heard recently that they are relaxing the reporting of hate crimes. It seems that this has already started..
Is it worth my friend calling citizens advice?
Comments
-
I've had this and a lot worse both in person and online from right wing grifters who post on social media when they're allegedly "at work", can these people even spell blatant hypocrisy?
2 -
I can't understand anyone making such a statement, but really, what can be done about it?
When I got called a ****ing spastic last year in the street, I just ignored it, despite not particularly enjoying the experience.
I'm afraid your friend will just have to grow a thicker skin, even if it does hurt.
6 -
I once got called a "deaf C U Next Tuesday" (Connect the first letters) at work, the guy thought I didn't hear him and I did, he's lucky I didn't flatten him.
1 -
I had that one shouted at me by a driver of a passing van while I was going up the street with my daughter.
1 -
There’s a genuine difference between something being morally wrong and something being criminally actionable. What your friend was told was unpleasant and rooted in prejudice, but a single comment like that usually won’t meet the legal threshold for a hate crime or harassment. In that sense, the police response, though disappointing, may simply reflect what they are legally able to do in situations like your friend’s.
That doesn’t mean your friend has to just accept it. Citizens Advice could still be helpful, not for anything criminal, but to understand what options are available if this becomes a pattern or starts to escalate. It may also be worth contacting the local council. Councils can look into neighbour harassment and antisocial behaviour even when the police can’t take formal action.
It might also be helpful to start documenting everything from this point onwards, dates, times, exact words and any witnesses. If the behaviour does escalate into a pattern, having clear records would be invaluable for any future complaint, whether to the police or the local council’s antisocial behaviour team.
1 -
Hard to fathom what goes on in someone's head, that they feel entitled to say that. Sadly we can't control what other people think or say, as i'm sure you know!
3 -
I get this one, the worse my mobility has become the more it seems to happen. I'm sorry your daughter was subjected to it too.
0 -
You have summed this up perfectly. I wonder if it is a generational thing? I don’t like it and have answered back on occasion, but I do not let it spoil my day or waste time dwelling on it.
Of course, that might be different if it were an ongoing, regular issue with the same person. But I try not to let the opinions of others ruin my day or take up any more of my energy.
2 -
Maybe this will come across as cynicism - I hope not - but as an autistic person, I'm seeing my disability platformed and invalidated in the media, and by government ministers on a pretty much daily basis at the moment. It makes me feel like disability discrimination is now open season, and thus nobody's going to do much about it even when it happens in the street.
On a more specific basis, I'm sorry that anyone has had to deal with direct and personal comments like that. My job means I encounter a lot of vulnerable people, and people make generalised assumptions about many of them (sometimes specifically, sometimes collectively) in wider life which I know from my direct experience with them are not true. But I've learned that all I can do is support the customer in front of me in that moment. I'm not able to control the media, social media, government policy, or other people's ignorance. As much as it makes my blood boil to see or hear it around me. And as fed up as I am seeing everyone else become 'experts' on things they've literally never encountered except on google.Our current world is fueled by ignorance and the power of dividing people into "us" and "them". Sadly :(
4 -
If this were me I would ignore such comments because reporting them will probably make matters much worse and tensions are likely to escalate and become really unpleasant.
The police have decided the comment made isn't hate crime.
0 -
And if certain Political entities get their way, things will get a LOT worse for us disabled folk.
1
Categories
- All Categories
- 15.8K Start here and say hello!
- 7.6K Coffee lounge
- 106 Games den
- 1.8K People power
- 159 Announcements and information
- 25.3K Talk about life
- 6.2K Everyday life
- 508 Current affairs
- 2.5K Families and carers
- 873 Education and skills
- 2K Work
- 580 Money and bills
- 3.7K Housing and independent living
- 1.2K Transport and travel
- 642 Relationships
- 1.6K Mental health and wellbeing
- 2.5K Talk about your impairment
- 879 Rare, invisible, & undiagnosed conditions
- 941 Neurological impairments and pain
- 2.2K Cerebral Palsy Network
- 1.3K Autism and neurodiversity
- 40.8K Talk about your benefits
- 6.1K Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
- 20.3K PIP, DLA, ADP & AA
- 9.1K Universal Credit (UC)
- 5.3K Benefits and income