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National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2014
Published: 13/10/2014
See It, Hear It, Report It is the message from this years National Hate
Crime Awareness Week which takes place between 11 and 18 October.
As part of a Welsh Government national campaign, Flintshire County Council,
Flintshire Community Safety Partnership and its partners across North Wales,
have come together to highlight the issues of hate crime and to promote
reporting such crimes.
The message will be advertised on buses, local community radio stations, social
media and during local events.
Throughout the week partners across North Wales will be working with local
groups and community organisations to raise awareness and encourage reporting
of hate crime. They will also be promoting support services and resources that
are available locally.
Hate crime is a crime against an individual or group of people based on their
identity or their perceived difference. It could be an act of violence,
hostility or discrimination. Victims may have been bullied, harassed or abused
because of who they, their sexuality, gender, religion, ethnicity or lifestyle
choice. In 2013 there were 397 reports of hate crime across North Wales.
The crime may be verbal abuse, offensive graffiti, threats, damage to property,
assault, cyber bullying, abusive texts, emails or phone calls. All are
unacceptable and should not be tolerated.
A short film ‘Young Gypsies and Travellers Talk about Hate Crime’ was made by
Travelling Ahead Save the Children Project. Young people from Flintshire
contributed to the film supported by Flintshire Traveller Education Service and
by Flintshire Youth Services as ITD - the Inspirational Traveller Dimensions
Girls group.
They want to use the film to begin to change attitudes and look at what can be
done locally to ensure that Gypsies and Travellers are treated fairly and with
the same rights and respect that all members of the community can expect.
The film has already been shown at the National Assembly of Wales, in the All
Party Parliamentary Group in Westminster and has been shared by individuals and
by equalities networks across the UK and Europe - feedback has been received
from people from all over the world. The Chair of the National Association of
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Police Officers has asked to use it in formal police
training.
The Inspirational Traveller Dimensions Girls said: We wanted to let people
know how we feel when they say racist things and dont treat us the same way as
other people and the film gave us the chance to say it in our own voices
through our own words.
We wanted to show everyone from the other children we go to school with, the
people that live in our communities, the police, our teachers, everyone right
up to the government how much hate crime hurts, how we feel about it and where
it takes place. We want to help find out why it happens and make it stop and
we can only do that by people understanding that hate crime really happens.
Cllr Billy Mullin, Cabinet Member for Corporate Management said: “I am very
pleased that Welsh Government has raised the profile of this very important
issue. I am confident that through partnership working we can make a real
difference. The key message has to be, dont suffer in silence. If you see it
or hear it then report it - there are people who can help. The film by the
Travelling Ahead Project highlights the impact of hate crime on victims, and I
am delighted that the ITD group have had the opportunity to tell their story.
Hate Crime should be reported by calling North Wales Police on 101 (999 in the
case of an emergency) or Victim Support’s free 24 hour helpline on 0300 30 31
982 or online www.reporthate.victimsupport.org.uk