‘My daughter was killed for being different’
Sylvia Lancaster began a tireless campaign to end hate crime after her daughter Sophie was brutally murdered in August 2007, when she was just 20.
Sylvia, who lives in Lancashire, says, “It’s great to see Coronation Street using their platform to raise awareness. When they got in touch with me, I was just so pleased that they were covering such an important issue.
“The producers wanted to speak to me about Sophie to ensure the storyline was accurate and they handled it really sensitively. I spoke to the actors, too, who wanted to learn more about Sophie as they prepared for the roles.
“It’s been hard watching the episodes, as it’s made me think about how scared Sophie must have been, and it has brought back difficult memories from the time after her death. But knowing how much awareness the programme will raise gives me hope.
“I hope that people think twice before being hostile to someone who is different to them. Being different is what makes you unique and it should be celebrated – not make you a victim.
BULLIED
“Sophie had started dressing differently in her teens. Her look would have been described as ‘gothic’ – she pierced her lips and ears, wore her hair in dreadlocks, and was happy in scruffy T-shirts, big boots and plaid trousers. As a former biker myself, I thought she looked great, but local kids would bully her, calling her a ‘weirdo’. Luckily, Sophie had a close-knit group of supportive friends.
And at the age of 16, she met her boyfriend, Robert Maltby.
“When she was 20, they moved into a house together, in Bacup, Lancashire, and I loved seeing her so happy.
BRUTAL
“But in the early hours of 11 August 2007, Sophie and Robert had been to a friend’s house and were walking the 20-minute journey home when five boys launched a brutal attack. Robert was attacked and jumped on first, so Sophie went to defend him. But as she cradled his head in her lap, the boys took it in turns to kick and stamp on her head.
“I didn’t know what had happened until police officers knocked on my door later that
❛ SHE HAD TRAINER MARKS ON HER FACE AND HER DREADLOCKS WERE RIPPED OUT ❜
morning. They told me she was in hospital, and I rushed to her side.
“When I saw her, I burst into tears – I was horrified to see she had trainer marks either side of her face from where she’d been kicked. Half of her dreadlocks had been ripped out and her head had swollen to the size of a football. Robert had bleeding on the brain, but as the days passed by, he started getting better, while Sophie remained in critical condition.
“Two days later, doctors explained that Sophie’s tests showed she had permanent brain damage. Deep down, I knew Sophie would never recover, but I visited her daily. I read her favourite Harry Potter books and helped bathe her.
“It was while I was in hospital that I decided to set up the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, to tackle hate crime. I didn’t want to see anyone else go through what we had.
“Two weeks later, we made the heartbreaking decision to say goodbye. I laid on the bed and held Sophie in my arms as doctors turned off her life support machine. She died peacefully 20 minutes later.
“Following a trial in March 2008, two of Sophie’s attackers, Brendan Harris and Ryan Herbert, were sentenced to life in prison for murder, while Joseph Hulme, his brother Danny, and Daniel Mallett pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent on Robert, and were jailed for 16 years between them. I’ll never forget hearing the awful sound of the chains as Sophie’s killers made their way into the court. It was the first time I’d seen them, and I was shocked at how young they were – only 15 and 16. But they showed no remorse, staring at me brazenly.
“The verdict made clear that Sophie’s death was the result of hate crime. The boys’ actions were based on prejudice about the way she looked. I’ll never be able to forgive Sophie’s killers for robbing my daughter of her future – I often wonder what she’d be doing now.
CHARITY
“In 2009, the Sophie Lancaster Foundation was officially registered as a charity. We carry out training in schools, prisons and police forces, and since 2010 I’ve assisted the government by speaking up for victims. In 2014, I was awarded an OBE for tackling hate crime. As long as I keep running the charity, Sophie will always be here.
“As a society, we still have a long way to go to become less hostile and more accepting of differences.”