Rise in hate crime against disabled people in Bristol

A steep surge in hate crime has been recorded by Avon and Somerset police in the past two years, with figures up 46 per cent since 2015.

In a series of articles, Bristol24/7 investigates the extent of a problem that remains under-reported, reasons behind the rise in numbers, the impact on victims and what is being done to stem the flow of prejudice and cruelty across the city. 

“Some days, I could not go into the flat when I needed to because he locked the door,” says John, who suffered years of abuse at the hands of his flatmate.

The 66-year-old lived in fear and misery, but put up with the torment inflicted on him in silence before he eventually confided in a friend and mentor, who reported the case and sought help.

Now, thanks to the work of the Brandon Trust, and other agencies, John is happily relocated into supported living accommodation and has told his story of hate crime to try and help others who may be facing similar abuse and encourage them to report it.

“He would threaten that if I was not back, he would lock me out,” John tells Bristol24/7. “He would go through my post to find out about my benefits and one night he locked me outside until 5am, so I had to go to a park that’s full of drug addicts and sleep on the bench.

“He asked for me to lend him £100 and said he would give it back after Christmas. He could be scary to be around and he was disrespectful and mean about me. I felt very vulnerable where I was. If it was not for the good people I know, I don’t know where I would be.

“I didn’t want to report it to police while I was living there. I’m so lucky not to be there anymore. It’s heart-breaking to think of that place, I like to think of the future now.

“I spent many years feeling sad and I didn’t know life could be like this. There are a lot of people in that position and I have to tell them that I was relieved when I spoke to someone.”

Scenery at Elm Tree Farm, an enterprise run by the Brandon Trust, where John spoke to Bristol24/7

John is just one of the many people with a learning or physical disability who have been subjected to hate crime, from verbal abuse, to ‘mate crime’ where someone befriends them in order to exploit them.

Avon and Somerset police have recorded consistent and significant increases in reported hate crimes against disabled people in the region. The number of reported crimes for the 2014/15 period was 157, rising to 266 for 2015/16 and 431 in 2016/17.

Sarah Howard says the affect hate crime can have lasting affects on people, who often become withdrawn

Sarah Howard, project leader for hate crime services at the Brandon Trust, says that higher figures are an encouraging sign that more victims are reporting incidents. But she added that a great deal of cases remain unknown and unreported.

“It is rarely the victim themselves that report it,” says Howard. “That’s why it’s important to train professionals who work with people with learning disabilities. People are still not recognising some types of disability hate crime.

“One term we use is ‘mate crime’, where someone is befriended in order to exploit them, and this particularly happens with people with learning disabilities. What happens is that those cases get safeguarded, but they do not necessarily get recorded as hate crime. They are very difficult to prove in a court of law.

“Vulnerability is very difficult to prove, because someone might be very capable but very easy to manipulate. It can take a third party person to recognise hate crime.

“For victims, it makes you feel like you don’t want to go out, it makes you feel withdrawn and that’s something that’s very common with bullying cases. People lose confidence and many get very anxious, particularly people with learning disabilities. I know of one woman who is scared to return to her flat.

“Another won’t use her white stick because she gets so much abuse. A lot of blue badge abuse is where people get very aggressive because the badge holder does not have a visible impairment.

“At the Brandon Trust, we take the emphasis off the victim proving incidents.”

A Brandon Trust training session using drama to portray the affects of hate crime

Howard runs workshops using drama and also trains professionals who work with people with learning disabilities. She says education is key and added that landlords have a duty to report hate crime which often, as in John’s case, occurs in the home by a perpetrator known to the victim.

The Brandon Trust is a charity that provides services for people with learning disabilities and its hate crime service also deals with cases of people with a physical disability who have been targeted.

To report hate crime, call 0800 171 2272, email: sari@sariweb.org.uk or visit: www.bhcds.org.uk

In an emergency call the police on 999.

Main Image: Members of Misfits Theatre Company depict the impact of hate crime. 

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