disability hate crime
what is it? what can you do about it?
message from Bexley police The police want you to be safe and to stop all hate crime incidents. The police want you to tell them about crime. If you need help you can
phone the police
talk to the police in the street or to a police officer you know
go to a police station
If you make a report you will be asked for your name so that the police can contact you. The police will meet with you to talk about what happened. They will write down what you say. After you make the report the police will get evidence. They will find out the facts. They will talk to people and get more information. The police will show the evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service.
contents about disability hate crime
5
what is hate crime?
6
what are the crimes that can happen?
6
who does hate crime happen to?
8
what is a disability?
10
why do people do hate crimes?
12
reporting disability hate crime
13
who to tell
14
telling the police
15
keeping your name private
16
at court
17
who else can help you?
17
what to say when you report hate crime
20
how to help someone when they tell you about a hate crime
22
effects of disability hate crime 24 how does hate crime make people feel?
25
what people in Bexley say
26
what happens to people who do hate crime?
27
stories about hate crime
28
word list
30
important contacts
31
Some difficult words are coloured blue. You can find them in the word list on page 30.
55
about disability hate crime
56
what is hate crime? Hate crime is when someone bullies or hurts someone else because they are different. Sometimes this happens because someone has a disability.
what are the crimes that can happen? Any sort of crime can be a hate crime. These are some of the things that could happen
stealing money or taking things that belong to you
shouting or calling you names
hurting your body, for example kicking
bullying on the internet or on your phone
spitting at you
hurting you in a sexual way
touching you in a sexual way when you do not want it
threatening you
these are crimes you should report them
75
58
who does hate crime happen to? Hate crime can happen to lots of different people. Usually people do hate crime because they think another person is different from them in some way. This could be because of
their disability
where they come from
their religion
their sexuality
their race
their age
their gender
95
510
what is a disability? Disability is when someone cannot do all the same things as most people. This is because
they have an illness or condition with their body or brain
people and places do not give them enough help to do things.
There are different illnesses or conditions that can be part of a person’s disability.
learning disability or difficulty
physical disability, for example using a wheelchair or being small
complex needs
Deaf
blind
deafblind
long-term illness, for example Multiple Sclerosis
brain damage
epilepsy
mental health problems
autism and Aspergers
11
12 5
why do people do hate crimes? Anyone can do a hate crime. It could be
a stranger
someone you know
someone who pretends to be a friend This is sometimes called mate crime
People do hate crimes for different reasons
they do not know any better This is called ignorance
they think some people are not as a good as others This is called prejudice
they treat some people worse than others This is called discrimination
they think it is fun
hate crime is wrong there is no a good reason for hate crime
13
reporting disability hate crime
14 5
who to tell If a hate crime has happened to you, you should tell someone.
These are some people you could tell
friends or family
a support worker or key worker at home or at a day service
someone who works for an organisation you know, like a supporter
bus driver
social worker
police or transport police
a teacher or staff at college
someone you work with, like a manager
You should tell someone you feel safe with.
If you are in danger call 999 as soon as possible
telling the police
15
Sometimes people can be worried about talking to the police. They can find it difficult to answer questions or remember what to say.
The person you tell can support you to tell the police. If you report the hate crime to the police, the person who did the crime may go to court.
999 18000
if you are in danger
if a crime is happening now
if a crime has already happened
if you are not in danger right now
calls cost 15p a minute
Bromley Police Community Safety Unit
information, advice and support about hate crime
textphone
101 18001 101 textphone
020 8284 8760
16
reporting a hate crime online You can fill in a form online saying what happened. You do not have to give your name and address. www.report-it.org.uk/your_police_force reporting a hate crime by phone You can call Crimestoppers to report any crime. You do not have to give your name and address. 0800 555 111
keeping your name private Some people do not want to give their name and address when they report a hate crime. The police will make sure you are safe if you report a hate crime. But there are ways of keeping your details private if you want to.
If you talk to the police and give your name, it is easier for the police to catch the person.
at court
17
If there is a court case you do not need to be in the same room as the person who did the crime. There are different ways you can say what happened
behind a screen
on a live video from another room
on a video you recorded already
There will be someone to help you in the courtroom. You can have help communicating if you need it, like sign language, pictures, or electronic aids.
who else can help you? There are different organisations that can help you if a hate crime has happened to you. They can help you report the crime or they can talk to you about what happened. Different organisations help people with different disabilities. Some of these organisations are on the next few pages.
18 Advocacy for All advocates for people with a variety of disabilities 020 8300 9666 0845 832 0044 to make a referral info@advocacyforall.org.uk
MCCH – Jigsaw Project raises awareness of disability hate crime and supports people to report hate crime 07738 642411 jigsaw@mcch.org.uk
Bexley Speaking Up Group self advocacy support to people with a learning disability or difficulty who do not get support from the council 020 8300 9666 info@advocacyforall.org.uk
Bexley Mencap advice and support for people with a learning disability or difficulty and their families 0208 303 6336 office@bexleymencap.org.uk
Bexley SNAP advice, support and services for families with disabled children 01322 359 475 admin@bexleysnap.org.uk Kent Association for the Blind support services for people with sight impairments 020 8464 8406 rehab.bromley@kab.org.uk Mind in Bexley support and services for people with mental health problems 020 8303 5816 info@mindinbexley.org.uk Respect in Bexley part of Bexley Mencap self advocacy support for people with a learning disability who get support from the council 0208 313 3034 Bexley Deaf Centre information, education and support for Deaf people 01322 351122 bexleydeafcentre@fsmail.com
19
20
what to say when you report a hate crime The more you can remember about what happened the more it helps. Make a note of what you can remember as soon as possible. Sometimes it is hard to remember everything or to say what you want to say. The list on the next page shows some of the important things to remember.
You can get help if you need it. Look at our list of who can help on page 18.
what the person said to you
21
for example the bad words they used
what the person did to you for example throwing something, touching you, stealing something
why they did the crime did they say something about disabled people that makes you think it was a hate crime?
where it happened
when it happened
who did it for example a man or woman, one person or a group
person’s name and address if you know it
what they were like for example what they looked like, what they were wearing, how old they were
22 5
how to help someone when they tell you about a hate crime listen!
listen carefully
believe what the person tells you and take it seriously
use words they understand or things that can help like pictures or sign language
write down what they say
report it!
support the person to tell the police or report it for them
go with them to the police station if they need you to
support the person to tell other people who can help, like social services or an advocate
help the person to feel better!
keep calm and help them be calm
listen to how the person feels and be understanding
listen to the person’s worries and help them feel as safe as they can
If a young person or an adult at risk tells you
they are in danger they have been abused you should report it Police and social services numbers on the back page.
23
24
effects of disability hate crime
how does hate crime make people feel?
25
Hate crime can make people feel very bad. Some of the feelings people have are
shock
feeling vulnerable
fear
depression
anxiety
trouble sleeping
People can feel much worse after hate crime than after other types of crime.
26
what people in Bexley say I have mental health issues and I’ve got a disability. I find it hard when I am put down, when the bully takes the mick out of me. It happens when I am on the bus or in the street. I find it hard to stand up for myself.
children called me mental kid
We need to stick together. The only form of bullying I had was in a relationship.
We could go into schools and do training about Learning Disability awareness.
I have been bullied about 9,999 times in my life, every day, usually several times a day from being an infant to a young adult. When I went to the shop a car came past me and they threw an egg at me. It makes me sad. It always me angry when people are not nice to me.
I have been called a mong for being different to normal people that can do stuff.
what happens to people who do hate crime? Police and courts should take hate crime very seriously. Police work hard to make sure that people who do hate crime go to court. There are new rules about hate crime and what punishments people should get. If people are found guilty of hate crime the rules say they should get worse punishments than for other crimes.
For example, if someone steals your money because you have a disability, they will get a worse punishment than if they steal your money for a different reason.
27
28
stories about hate crime
Mary’s story Mary has Down’s syndrome. One day she went to the post office. Outside a group of young men started calling her names about being disabled. One man took her bag, purse and her mobile phone. Mary went back into the post office and they called the police. They also called Mary’s friend who came to support her. The police talked to Mary and to people at the post office. A witness saw him take Mary’s bag and heard him shouting names about being disabled. The case went to court and he was found guilty of theft and because of what he had said about Mary’s disability, he got a longer sentence.
29
Shareenah’s story Shareenah lives with her husband. She is in a wheelchair after she had a car accident. One evening a brick was thrown through a window in their flat. Shareenah’s neighbour saw the man who did it. She did not say anything that day but the neighbour had seen him throwing things at Shareenah’s windows before and had heard him say that he hated people in wheelchairs. The case went to court and the man was found guilty of criminal damage. Because of what the man had done and said in the past, the court believed he had done this damage because he did not like disabled people. The court said that this was a disability hate crime and gave the man a more serious punishment.
30
word list
advocate
a person who listens to what you want and helps you speak up for your rights
Crown Prosecution Service
the main law agency in the UK. They decide if there is enough evidence for a case to go to court.
discrimination
treating someone worse than others because they are different
electronic aid
a computer that helps someone communicate, for example by pressing a button to make a word or a message
evidence
things that help prove that a crime has happened. For example what people say or photos of damage
gender
whether someone is a man or a woman, including transgender people
ignorance
not knowing about things like disability
prejudice
thinking someone is not as good as you because they are different
race
whether someone is Black, white, Asian or something else
religion
what someone believes in, like Christianity, Islam or something else
sexuality
whether someone is straight, gay or bisexual
threaten
telling a person you are going to hurt them in some way
important contacts websites
www.report-it.org.uk/disability_hate_crime1
report hate crime
www.stophateuk.org
report hate crime
www.arcuk.org.uk/safetynet
information about mate crime
www.safernet.org.uk
information about staying safe on the internet
31
32
important contacts phone numbers
999 101 15p a call
social services
020 8303 7777
emergencies not emergencies Safer Neighbourhood Teams safeguarding for young people and adults at risk
0208 303 6336
safe places to go for help if in danger or worried
0845 3030 900
help for victims of crime
Bexley Mencap
a list of local organisations that can help is on page 18