Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Ignored.. unheard.. and alone
Baroness Newlove on the targets of vile yobs
VICTIMS of antisocial behaviour live in constant fear, says the widow of a man killed by thugs.
Victims’ Commissioner Helen Newlove told the Mirror exclusively that the Government must do more for such victims, who feel ignored.
Baroness Newlove’s family had suffered abuse, violence and aggression, which started as beer bottles being thrown into their garden and vandalism of their property.
Then, in August 2007, her husband Garry, 47, confronted drunken youths defacing her car in Padgate, Cheshire. They kicked him to death in front of his daughters.
Baroness Newlove said: “Imagine living in constant fear in your own home. Imagine the daily torment of harassment, intimidation, or vandalism. This is the grim reality for victims of anti-social behaviour.”
But she said police look at ASB as a neighbourly nuisance – until it gets too serious to ignore.
One victim reported 280 ASB cases over 10 months, including noise nuisance, harassment, threats and intimidation.
It culminated in a firebomb attack on the victim’s property.
Only then were they eligible for statutory support.
Baroness Newlove wants the Victims and Prisoners Bill to include a
“trigger” so that if someone reports three ASB incidents to local authorities, it will unlock access to victim support services under the Victims’ Code.
That would include being allocated a caseworker to provide practical safety advice, refer the victim to specialist services, or communicate with agencies such as police, housing associations or the council.
Baroness Newlove was given her peerage in 2010 for her campaigning work to reform communities. She is now Victims’ Commissioner and Deputy Speaker in the Lords.
She makes the plea ahead of the landmark legislation returning to the Lords today. She said: “My inbox is full of victims’ accounts of antisocial behaviour. They tell me they feel ignored, unheard and alone.
“Passed from pillar to post with no resolution in sight, I feel their anguish. My own story is a stark reminder that tragedy can strike when pleas for help go unheard.”
“The Victims and Prisoners Bill was a golden opportunity to fix the problem. Instead, the Bill currently overlooks victims of persistent antisocial behaviour. I, with others, have called for amendments.”
The Mirror revealed last month that the last of Garry’s killers still in jail has applied for parole.
Adam Swellings, who was then 19, got life with a minimum of 17 years, which expires in August. He was convicted of murder in January 2008, with Stephen Sorton, 17, and Jordan Cunliffe, 16.
The Government said: “We are tackling anti-social behaviour with an increased police presence in hotspots as part of our £160million action plan.”
They said any victims of crime were entitled to support under the Victims’ Code.
My inbox is full of victims’ accounts.. I feel their anguish