‘Hate crime’ ruined family’s Castle visit
CURATOR SAYS YOUNG GRANDDAUGHTERS WERE HIT AND VERBALLY ABUSED
A WOMAN has told of her anger after claiming that her two grandchildren were victims of a hate incident at the Nottingham Castle.
Panya Banjoko, a curator at Nottingham Castle in her 50s, took her grandchildren on a tour showing them the exhibitions at the castle on Tuesday.
The born-and-bred Nottingham writer and PHD researcher at Nottingham Trent University, from Basford, has also held an exhibition called Don’t Blame The Blacks at the castle and proudly showcased her work to her grandchildren.
She said she was “excited” to welcome her family, who came from Birmingham on a visit.
She spent the afternoon with four grandchildren and her daughter wandering around the castle and admiring the artwork.
The cheer and joy however did not last long, said Ms Banjoko.
She said: “We had a couple of minor issues but nothing blatant – until later.
“The first problem occurred when we were denied access to one of the exhibitions.
“Because I am a curator at the castle, I have a free access pass that allows me to go to all the exhibitions.
“I was told right there that me and my family cannot go in.
“I had a full pass and I could actually do everything that I wanted to do on that day with my grandchildren.
“We did not want to make a fuss, we did not want to do anything so we left.
“It sounds horrible, it sounds wrong – but you become desensitised to those kinds things.
“I took the name of the person and I thought I would follow that up later as I did not want to make a big scene of it and spoil their day.”
Ms Banjoko said she then went outside to get some fresh air and enjoy the view.
Her daughter and one of the children walked to a shop to buy coffee.
She took the rest of the children to the adventure playground to run and play “like children do” while she sat on the grass nearby.
It was not until later when Ms Banjoko heard a scream, and then eyewitnessed the “horrible” incident.
She added: “I saw my granddaughter being punched by another child.
“I saw the child’s mother standing there and I immediately got across the grass, went over to the mother and said: ‘What’s going on here? Your child is hitting my granddaughter.’
“The mother said that it had nothing to do with me and I should not care.”
Ms Banjoko also claims that two of her granddaughters, aged seven and 11, and her eight-year-old grandson were shouted at while they were playing.
She said the oldest girl said she was kicked in the stomach while the youngest claimed she was pushed to the ground.
“They were also called dumb black girls,” Ms Banjoko added.
“The kid’s mum told me her daughter can do what she likes.
“And then her daughter pulled a camera from my granddaughter’s neck and threw it away.”
The heartbroken grandmother said she approached the staff at the castle, asking for help.
She claims that no-one listened to her, and that a member of the senior management team “kettled her into a corner” and said she was “aggressive”.
Ted Cantle CBE, Chair of the Nottingham Castle Trust board, said: “This is a serious allegation and we are treating it as such.
“We are continuing to review the full details of what happened as well as supporting the police with their enquiries.”
Despite her desperate calls for help, Ms Banjoko said she did not get anywhere and condemned the attitude of the staff at Nottingham Castle.
“When I was talking to the staff it was like they could not hear the words coming out of my mouth.
“But there were two issues here – one is the assault which the police are dealing with now.
“The other major issue is the castle’s inaction.
“The lack of response for me that is the bigger issue because that means that the same thing can happen again.”
Ms Banjoko has also raised concerns about the lack of diversity among the staff and exhibitions at Nottingham Castle and has called for change.
In response, a spokesperson for Nottingham Castle added: “We are always striving to improve the diversity of the exhibitions and of our own team. “Since opening just two months ago, the Castle has been successful in portraying many facets of Nottingham’s history, including its diverse communities.
“We would welcome a meeting with Ms Banjoko to discuss how we can continue to implement positive change.”
Ms Banjoko said her granddaughters were left traumatised after the “horrible incident”.
Mr Cantle added: “We are deeply concerned by the incident that happened at Nottingham Castle on the afternoon of Tuesday.
“Our staff followed formal processes in a situation involving complaints from two families.
“A number of staff were involved to try and calm the situation but matters escalated, and security was involved.
“Staff are not able to physically detain guests and the trust would not expect them to do so, but the castle team called the police swiftly and statements to capture information were gained.
“We are doing everything we can internally to address what happened in order for us to move forward in the best possible way. “Contact was made with Ms Banjoko following the incident.
“In any situation like this, we are always looking at our processes and how we can improve them.”
“We received no report or any detail of Ms Banjoko being denied entry to an exhibition.
“We suspect this could be in relation to the Cave Tours and Robin Hood Adventures which were both fully booked on the day.
“These are ticketed and timed activities which need to be booked in advance.”
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police added: “Nottinghamshire Police received a report of a hate incident at Nottingham Castle on August 17.
“We take any incidents of hate very seriously and will be investigating this report thoroughly.
“Anyone who is a victim of hate crime is encouraged to report it either through 101 or in an emergency, dial 999.
“Any victims of hate crime who want support can contact hate. crime@nottinghamshire.pnn. police.uk.”
The lack of response means that the same thing can happen again
Panya Banjoko