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Hi, I need help over hate incident but police ain't taking it seriously

deeoconnor36

I have been at receiving end of intimidation and threats of assault from an adult and harassment from teens who have been absolutely cruel towards my disability, I'm severely sight impaired with hard of hearing, yet police don't think it's a hate crime, they just keep fobbing me off and my family. What made it worse now he even questioned my anxiety attacks when I am out shopping or going out, I shouldn't have tell him about anything like that let alone he questioning my health, I have been so upset since Sunday and things are getting out of control and police are just ignoring us because it's just kids taunting us, it not taunting, it's plain harassment and cruel bullying, kids or not it's affecting me and the Heath of all my family. I don't know what to do, or where to turn to because of all of this, please help

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Chris_Alumni

Hi @deeoconnor36, I'm very sorry to hear of this. I would recommend that you give our free helpline a call on 0808 800 3333 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm), they should be able to provide you with advice and support.

deeoconnor36

Thank you for replying, I have been anxiety attacks since Sunday but police seem to let things go over their heads and just make phone calls instead. I know they think it's just kids playing about but to me it's more than that, they are going to one extreme to another, I don't really want call because I get upset talking about it,

Chris_Alumni

I'm sorry that things are difficult and quite understand your not wanting to talk on the phone. @DebbieVoakes and Beth Slade may be able to offer you some advice on here.

deeoconnor36

Thank u, I might later as I have carpal tunnel and what vision I do have is double vision and tunnel vision in right eye, left eye has gone completely, due to retina dystrophy I have to be careful when I use it

[Deleted User]

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deeoconnor36

Thank @DannyMoore for your story, and yes police think us with disabilities just make things up or totally ignore our complaints, I think we should stand up to them and make them listen us. Police are just like us, it's the uniform and the ability to use the law in their way, usually not the way the law is set, they think they can do whatever want, when they want. I threatened them with papers they turned nasty on me here, saying I don't have anxiety attacks or suffering from depression because of this pure hate crime, I think we need the government to listen that we also humans with feelings too and when people start being cruel and nasty against us, I don't think they are taught there is two types of different disabilities one you can see, and ones you can't see

[Deleted User]

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deeoconnor36

They know I'm severely vision impaired, and use my cane, but can't use it at night for safety reasons, but to have man who was related to one of the kids who was harassing me, threatening to assault me and my guide, who is also my partner too, and denied to police he didn't threaten us, police just put down just an argument that got out of hand, I said to them I really go to the shop to get trouble do I? I get scared as it is, now police are checking my every move, like they said on the phone, I asked y when I'm the victim, get the ones who caused the trouble, not the ones who are victims

[Deleted User]

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deeoconnor36

Hopefully they will realise that we need to be heard and to be listened to. Thank u, your insights on this has been most helpful and it helped me a great deal

Debbie_Alumni

Hello @deeoconnor36,

Thank you for posting here and sharing your story with us.
I'm so sorry to hear about what you've been experiencing and that you don't feel as though the Police are taking it seriously.

The Crown Prosecution Service states:
'A Hate Incident is any incident which the victim, or anyone else, thinks is based on someones prejudice towards them because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or because they are transgender'.

When hate incidents become criminal offences they are known as hate crimes. A criminal offence is something which breaks the law of the land. Any criminal offence can be a hate crime if it was carried out because of hostility or prejudice based on disability, race, religion, transgender identity or sexual orientation.

When something is classed as a hate crime, the judge can impose a tougher sentence on the offender under the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

There's no doubt that you have been victim of hate incidents and you've done the right thing by reporting them to the Police. It doesn't matter how many times you report it, they need to know. They need to build a picture of what is happening in your community and work within the community with other organisations to stop things escalating. If any of the hate incidents become criminal offences then there is much more action that the Police can take.

There are other ways in which you can report Hate Incidents and Hate Crimes, including online. The following link will take you to the True Vision website which has lots of information about Hate Crimes.. http://www.report-it.org.uk/home.

You might find it helpful to contact Victim Support for some further guidance on this on the range of help and support available.

There are other legal measures you can take such as restraining orders but in order to be successful with this it will involve reporting every incident and building up evidence to support an application for an order like this in court.

If you rent your property from the Council or a housing association you should also report these incidents to them too so that they are aware of what is happening to you. There are actions they can take if the people harassing you are also tenants of theirs, including eviction.

Please don't ever feel like you shouldn't report incidents because of the fear that you're not being taken seriously. Keep reporting and keep a diary of all of the incidents when they happen. You haven't mentioned which part of the country you live in so I haven't been able to look up some local information for you. If you would like me to look up local support services, please email me helpline@scope.org.uk and I can look into this for you.

Thanks also to @DannyMoore for contributing to the discussion. I hope you found it helpful and that you know that you can get support from the whole community here.

Best wishes
Debbie

deeoconnor36

Thank u @DebbieVoakes on this information, I have told the local MP and local area councillor, but I will inform council who is doing it now I know their names

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deeoconnor36

Well after we chatted last night, I had a call from someone from charity who deals with hate crime, not long after that call, 2 boys threw a big stone at our door which glass in it, 2 and half hours later even after we rang 999 to inform the police it happened again, now it's attempt or intentionally to damage property, I have been shaking all night because of these incidents today, just when I thought they have been told off severely, yet it's still happening

[Deleted User]

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[Deleted User]

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Jean Eveleigh

have you tried reporting the incidents using this form (it is currently set for the Metropolitan police as they are my local force so you would need to change it to your local force) https://secure.met.police.uk/hatecrime_national/index.php?rid=2924

This is also logged at a national level and so will be taken seriously and followed up on

deeoconnor36

Hi all, since posting this, the police have now decided it's serious enough after two windows were broken by the same teens, I am in touch with a lady who deals with hate crimes, she is like a family liaison officer, also the council and the police and my vision support worker too, are all meeting at my home tomorrow morning to come up with a plan to help me and my family stay in the house we live in, so basically with all your advice, you have helped me to encourage the police to listen to me, and to take me seriously instead of pushing me aside, also the criminal damage which apparently the kids lied about, the police officer went to the shop where it happened, the shop has got rid of the cctv evidence by deliberately damaging the hard drive, which police think its suss, but we are having to make statements about threatening behaviour from the adult who was supposed to be the parent turns out it's not, they are proceedings against him for threatening behaviour over a phone, pevertiing court of justice because he went into the shop before the police did, which they think he told them to get rid of cctv, so in all I think we are getting there and being honest does indeed make u better person

[Deleted User]

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Debbie_Alumni

Hi @deeoconnor36,

I'm so pleased to hear that action is now being taken by all the relevant authorities. I hope that the meeting went well today.

Please let us know how things progress.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this discussion, you're all amazing!