‘WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT THE SOCIETY THAT WE LIVE IN?’
Council tenants forced to move home after falling victim to hate crimes
SIXTEEN city council tenants have been forced to move home in the past two years due due to abuse from their neighbours.
Figures obtained by The Sentinel show the reasons for relocating included harassment, anti-social behaviour, drugs, violence, hate crime and racist abuse.
It comes as Staffordshire Police is encouraging victims to speak out as it supports Hate Crime Awareness Week.
The statistics cover tenants living in Stoke-on-trent City Council properties between July 1, 2018, and July 1, 2020.
Police say that in the last six months, there have been 576 racially motivated hate crimes reported in Staffordshire.
There have also been 123 reports of crimes targeting sexual orientation, 63 reports of disability hate crime, and 28 reports of transgender hate crime. Crime regarding religious beliefs was reported 21 times.
Carl Gratty, chairman of Stoke-on-trent Pride and Gossip nightclub director, said: “Victims of hate crime need to have support, and I feel that’s somewhat lacking from Staffordshire Police and the local authority.
“What does it say about the society we live in if people are having to move because of discrimination against their sexuality or race?
“The police are obviously stretched, but they don’t seem to spend any time preventing hate crime. They seem to wait for it to happen and then send a letter saying they’re sorry to the victim.
“What I’d like to see is more victims contacted and their experiences publicised. We don’t seem to be seeing any transparency from the police on this.” The force says it is contacting hate crime victims to gather feedback about their experiences and the service they received when they reported the crime, so it can improve the way it deals with cases in future.
Chief Inspector Paul Talbot, who is the force lead for hate crime, said: “Hate crime is such a personal crime because it attacks a person’s identify and the characteristics that makes that person an individual.
“It is important that the community understand and recognise the impact of this type of crime.
“It is rarely a one-off incident. The crime can have devastating psychological effects, which include anxiety, emotional trauma and insecurity. It can really affect a person’s wellbeing.
“Hate crime is not acceptable and it is important that if you are a victim or witness hate crime that you report it.”