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Ruby Thomas
Jailed: killer Ruby Thomas

Huge rise in anti-gay attacks sparks call to fight hate crime

Justin Davenport, Crime Editor
10 Feb 2011


The number of racist and homophobic incidents in London has shown a "disturbing" rise over the past four years, according to new figures.

Reports of racist attacks rose by seven per cent and homophobic incidents soared by 28 per cent.

The figures, obtained by Dee Doocey, a Liberal Democrat member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, show there were 10,268 racist and 1,545 homophobic incidents reported to officers in the capital last year.

Four years ago there were 9,617 racist and 1,208 homophobic cases. Ms Doocey said: "These figures are clear evidence of a very disturbing rise in hate crime. I am especially concerned about the huge rise in homophobic incidents.

"Some of the rise may be down to an increase in reporting of incidents, but I fear this may not be the full explanation. It seems only now that we are starting to discover the real numbers of such serious offences."

The number of homophobic incidents so far in the current year is al-ready higher than the whole of 2009/ 10 in nine boroughs, including Westminster, Lambeth and Islington.

Last month a former public schoolgirl was jailed for seven years for the gay-hate killing of civil servant Ian Baynham in Trafalgar Square. Ruby Thomas, who was 17 at the time, and Joel Alexander, 20, attacked Mr Baynham, 62, as he got off a bus in 2009. Alexander was jailed for six years.

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of charity Stonewall, said: "We're deeply concerned that hate crime continues to overshadow the lives of so many gay Londoners. We hope the Mayor will commit to becoming personally involved in tackling this blight. The Met has taken huge steps forward but there's still too little evidence of real commitment from the very top."

A recent YouGov poll that was commissioned by Stonewall found one in five lesbians, gay men and bisexuals had been a victim of a hate crime or incident in the past three years. Three in four victims in London did not report them to the police.

Reader views (25)

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Daddy of Kensington: Thank you very much indeed for saying what many of us white heterosexual Christian people have been saying for ages. I am fed up and sick of ES and other media squawking on about racist hate crimes etc..etc.. yet maintaining a craven, and dare I say it, political silence on the point of white victims of racism. Here in Newham, it's rife, so it must just be as bad in other London boroughs. However, I can tell you the Police DO NOT take racist verbal or physical attacks on white people seriously, nor to councils, especially of the labour-libdemmer type. If anything, they'll suggest that the white person 'asked for it'. Perhaps, in the interests of balanced, fair, professional and above all else, impartial journalism (the kind the BBC don't do), ES should get off their Ego's and investigate this for themselves. It would be nice to hear what our so-called Police have to say too.

- Gatedweller, People's Republic of Newham, 10/02/2011 21:05
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http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23921866-boy-16-stabbed-with-screwdriver-on-way-home-from-rehearsal.do
yet another example in today's standard to back up mine and Jon's stance on what group are most at risk from most violent attacks.I personally can vouch to being attcacked by Two youths with knifes and had my arm broken by a gang after being attacked from behind just to name a few incidents.

- Tom, Colchester, 10/02/2011 16:19
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Dan, schools have been teaching kids political correctness for years with little effect so I'm not sure how teaching them more is the answer. Maybe if we spent more effort on making them educated and employable, we wouldn't produce so many moronic thugs with nothing to do and nothing to lose.

- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent, 10/02/2011 16:05
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Alas this is what happens when you FORCE people with the threat of legal retribution into accepting rapid PC changes. Educating the masses without the use of a Big Stick is the surest way to make progress.

- Joe Jones, Leicester UK, 10/02/2011 15:39
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This is a worrying report. Now I'm not saying all but we have to look at the fact that London has experienced an increase in immigration where people coming here have homophobic tendancies and from places where race is the treated with less respect that in our culture.

I think it should be absolutely paramount that UK citizenship should include British Culture in that people, Gay/Lesbian in the UK are legally entitled to be themselves and race discrimination is also not acceptable. It Must be priority that people coming here must accept and respect our culture in the same way we would be if we were a guest in there country. They may not agree with the laws of the land but must abide them. Anything else should warrant their removal.

Other than that education has to be key.

- Jock S. Trap, London, 10/02/2011 14:18
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A Stoke Newington school which has developed lessons on gay historical figures who suffered persecution has succeeded in "more or less eliminating homophobic bullying" in its classrooms and playgrounds over the last five years - if more schools were brave and humane enough to follow this example there might be a drop in homophobic crimes.

- Dan, London, 10/02/2011 14:09
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The trouble is, homophobia appears to be becoming acceptable. If the BBC is to be believed, 'gay' is an acceptable criticism once more (care of Chris Moyles), and even in innocuous places like my local online forum (Sydenham forum), 'queer' is used openly and critically.

Sad times.

- Claire P, Forest Hill, 10/02/2011 13:54
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yes but what you all have to understand is our prisons are full, so none of your arguments will now stand up....doesnt matter what you do to whom at what cost you wont do the time you deserve...but that doesnt matter because our prisons are full....

- Inhindsight, Londinistan, 10/02/2011 13:43
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Violence is committed by violent people, and violent people do not need any supposed or real reason to attack anyone; if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you will do, homosexual, black, or white, not to mention all kinds of religious freaks etc.

By having only one law for any kind of violence, and any degree of violence; makes prosecution easier if the charge is not clouded with all kinds of other excuses etc.

You will find one equal law for everyone; is the only sensible law you will ever need.

- mickinlondon., london, 10/02/2011 11:50


AH, micinlondon, I've been "looking" for you.
On January 25 this paper run a story about a dark skinned looking young man who left a dog at Wood Green Animal Shelters in London.
You and a couple of other idiots made subtle references to his color implying that white people don't do things like that and how it used to be better in the good old days...yeah right.
Well , as you can see "mate", that face in the picture staring at you is a blonde haired blue eyed girl( the type who people like you want to inhabit England) who along with a black guy killed a man.
At least the dark skinned youth left a dog at an animal shelter, the WHITE girl
helped kill a human being. My question to you mick and your supporters is simple which of those two acts was the worst crime?

- steve, london E1, 10/02/2011 13:31
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Dear ES,

In the interest of balanced debate please can we have the statistics for how many white heterosexual people were attacked (mugged / beaten up / raped) by non white attackers in the same period?

The reason I ask is because white English people are not allowed to report any kind of assault by a non white attacker as a racist attack.

Please would you also note that the young man who kicked off the attack on the homosexual gentleman was in fact black, his thick as two short planks accomplice was white.

- Daddy, Kensington, 10/02/2011 13:17
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Yup, yet again the PC brigade twisting statistics to make a non story a headline. All violent assaults either by stranger or not is wrong. However, the vast majority of victims of violent assaults remain young white heterosexual men age 16 - 24. 12 times more attacks than on ethnic minorities and at least 100 times more common than attacks on homosexuals(identified). Of course that is also a twisting of the statistics. But exactly what is an "incident"? A bad look? an insult? what? and what percentage of these events were actually serious? As usual minority groups with help from the bovine media allow the stories to be inflated for their own ends.

- Jon, London, 10/02/2011 13:13
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there has been a huge rise in anti-semitic crime too apparently. Wonder who that's down to ? my money is on the religion of peace. They're probably responsible for the increase in gay bashing too.

- Squiz, IslIngton, 10/02/2011 13:03
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As a gay man, I can tell youi that the number of racist and homophobic crimes are due to Asian and Muslims being anti-gay and anti-jewish teh latter of which makes up the majority of racist crimes.

The same is true in Birmingham. Racism and hatred is very much now associated with Musim activity. They have learnt nothing.

- Paul, London, 10/02/2011 12:43
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John, Swansea

I understand exactly what you mean and agree with you.

It seems that only attacks on homosexuals or ethnic minorities are considered "serious crimes"

Getting assaulted because you might have a few bob in your pocket is no less a crime than any other assault.

The police should not be sidetracked from dealing wholeheartedly with crimes against the person no matter what the personal circumstances are.

- Rowland, Kingston up the Thames, 10/02/2011 12:35
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Good comment from Mick. Violence is Violence full stop.Lots of young people are much more likely to be set upon by gangs as opposed to older people statistics will confirm I believe. With regards to "gay" hate crime I am adamant it stems from school children who call each other "gay" as a supposedly and innocent bit of banter between themselves and is encouraged with hit comedy show characters such as "biggest gay in the village" however when these youths become a bit older after leaving school the term takes on a whole new more meancing darker meaning.

- Tom, Colchester, 10/02/2011 12:31
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I agree with arfur, 7 years for kicking someone to death on the street for no reason is pathetic. Considering the extra time added on for this being a "hate crime", I wonder what she'd have got if it was just some random member of the public.

Maybe instead of fussing over the motives, we should create a justice system that ensures ALL violent thugs who attack people without provocation get severe prison sentences, and those who kill get life (meaning life). Whatever the race or sexuality of the victim.

- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent, 10/02/2011 12:07
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Violence is committed by violent people, and violent people do not need any supposed or real reason to attack anyone; if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you will do, homosexual, black, or white, not to mention all kinds of religious freaks etc.

By having only one law for any kind of violence, and any degree of violence; makes prosecution easier if the charge is not clouded with all kinds of other excuses etc.

You will find one equal law for everyone; is the only sensible law you will ever need.

- mickinlondon., london, 10/02/2011 11:50
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I am afraid this is systematic of a system when the courts are lenient on paedophiles and people therefire take the law into their own hands. These thugs believe justice has let them down so they become vilgilante thugs.Leniency on crime leads to others committing crime.

That homophobic thugs of young woman pictured here won't be so brave in all women prison.Just desserts for her.

- Barry from Bermondsey, Bermondsey - Centre of London, 10/02/2011 11:49
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London has been flooded with immigrants and migrant workers. They all seem to stem from staunchly religious backgrounds, where they are taught to hate and fear gay people. Immigration goes up = crime goes up. As for the female pictured - 3.5 years for murder!??? Does anybody, even the most avid homophobe, think that's right?

- Ben Farrell, London, 10/02/2011 11:39
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@John I would imagine the number of people being attacked for being heterosexual is pretty low if not zero.

- TJ, London, 10/02/2011 11:35
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I must be less sensitive to the media, John from Swansea. Are we slightly self-centered?

- Alex C, London, 10/02/2011 11:35
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“Four years ago there were 9,617 racist and 1,208 homophobic cases. Ms Doocey said: "These figures are clear evidence of a very disturbing rise in hate crime. I am especially concerned about the huge rise in homophobic incidents”

Once again we seem to have a person with an agenda playing with statistics. The article refers to racist “attacks” and homophobic “incidents”. Could Ms Doocey be manipulating the statistics to create an illusion of a sharp increase in the number of “attacks” on gays? If so I am far more concerned about the increase in racial attacks.

- BJ, East London, 10/02/2011 11:29
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any act of violence must be punished severely! but there are two sides to this coin the media has started making me feel guilty of being heterosexual and white lets hear how many acts of violence are committed against heterosexuals and my colour and compare the two figures!

- john, swansea, 10/02/2011 11:18
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There's a word missing from the sentence "Last month a former public schoolgirl was jailed for seven years for the gay-hate killing of civil servant Ian Baynham in Trafalgar Square."

The word is only, as in "jailed for only seven years".

So long as scumbags get off lightly with crimes of violence and hate, we'll continue to be plagued by them.

- Arfur Towcrate, Staffycher, 10/02/2011 11:03
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Two points:

1. There's a picture of a white woman on the article but the fact is London has not become more white at the time these crimes were increasing. I would be curious to see a breakdown of the ethnic profiles of the attackers. I don't think the implication that "hate crime" is a white phenomenon is fair or helpful.

2. If I beat a black man senseless because I'm a racist, I'm despicable and dangerous and I should go to jail for a long time. We all agree on that. Now please someone explain to me why, if I beat the same man just as badly for his mobile phone or because he didn't give me enough "respect", I am less despicable and dangerous and I deserve a lesser sentence.

- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent, 10/02/2011 10:49
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