This year the topic is disability hate crime. Something that is more common than many people think, with as many as 9 out of 10 disabled people experiencing bullying or crime.
Those of you who have read my Mencap blog will know that my family have been 'lucky' enough not to have experienced hate crime directly, although we have faced negative attitudes and nasty comments.
I remember being followed home from school once by a group of kids shouting 'your brother's a spastic'. That kind of thing didn't last long because I stood my ground and refused to get upset. But sadly for some people it is the norm, and it happens more or less every single day.
Worse still, this bullying sometimes culminates into violence and even murder:
May 2006, Warrington Craig Dodd and Ryan Palin were convicted of the manslaughter of Raymond Atherton, who was beaten and had his benefits stolen. His flat was used by them and he was urinated on.
July 2006, Cornwall Steven Hoskin murdered by friends. Made to wear dog collar and lead and taunted (falsely) for being a paedophile. Money stolen regularly by his tormenters, who eventually forced him off a railway viaduct.
September 2006, Forest of Dean Kevin Davies (epilepsy and learning difficulties), was tortured, kept in a shed, had his benefits stolen. Died in September. Captors jailed for unlawful detention not murder - in July 2007.
October, 2007, Leicestershire Fiona Pilkington killed herself and her daughter Frankie, who had learning difficulties, after a hate campaign by local youths in the Leicestershire area in late autumn 2007. Local police recorded Ms Pilkington’s complaints as evidence of anti-social behaviour, not as an on-going hate crime.
October 27, 2007, Hartlepool Christine Lakinski collapsed near her home. A crowd gathered, including her neighbour, Antony Anderson. He urinated over her as she lay dying, and encouraged a friend to film the event. Anderson was convicted of outraging public decency.
The list goes on and on: http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/the-hate-crime-dossier
It's for this reason that I've spent my life scared at the thought of my little brother outliving me and being left at the mercy of people who could exploit him.
So how to change things?
Visit the Mencap website and find out about their 'Stand By Me' campaign http://www.mencap.org.uk/
Watch and share their video about disability hate crime http://www.mencap.org.uk/campaigns/standbymevideo
Spread the word on Twitter and Facebook by clicking here http://www.mencap.org.uk/standbymesocial and sharing the statistics (shown below) with your friends and followers:
And then contact your police service - it's easy, you just enter your details, the message is drafted for you - and ask them to do more to tackle hate crime against the disabled: http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=78&ea.campaign.id=10914&ea.param.extras=source:ldwpage
Thanks in advance for doing your bit!
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