New service for hate crime victims in Wales launched
January 29th, 2010 by Kim.Renfrew
A new service to support victims of homophobic hate crimes in Wales is being introduced today by Victim Support.
Working together with Stonewall Cymru and funded in part by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the service will field staff who have been specially trained to deal with homophobic and transphobic hate crime.
The project aims to ensure that victims of crime get help that is targeted at their needs, and includes practical advice on staying safe and on the criminal justice services available to those who have been victims of a hate crime.
It is also intended to raise levels of confidence in the police and judiciary among the LGBT community in Wales, who often let homophobic attacks go unreported, according to some sources. Research by Stonewall suggests that a quarter of all hate crimes are not reported to the police, and that one in five LGBT people expect that they would encounter discrimination from the police if they reported a homophobic incident.
Victim Support’s manager for Wales Gaynor McKeown told the BBC “It’s essential that all victims have someone they can turn to for support, someone who will understand the issues and challenges they may face.”
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