FIFTH OF GAYS EXPERIENCE HATE CRIMES

A British survey has exposed the fact that one in five LGBT people have been subjected to homophobic incidents in the past three years.

However, according to the study, three-quarters of victims do not bother to report the crimes; a third because they do not think police can, or will, do anything about it.

The reported incidents ranged from harassment to serious physical and sexual assaults.

The survey was conducted by British gay rights group Stonewall, who spoke to more than 1700 LGBT people throughout the United Kingdom, with the fieldwork undertaken between 29 February and 4 March this year.

Chief Executive of Stonewall, Ben Summerskill said: “It’s entirely unacceptable in 2008 that anyone should live in fear of attack and abuse simply because of who they are. This evidence is a scar on the face of a modern nation.”

The study was carried out, with official Home Office support, following the conviction of two men for the homophobic murder of Jody Dobrowski on Clapham Common in June 2006.

Mike Cunningham, of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: “It cannot be acceptable that a third of victims do not report incidents because they do not think the police would, or could, do anything about it.”

The report recommends encouraging police to improve the recording of homophobic incidents and tackling bullying in schools and offices.

Some of the more pertinent statistics in the survey include:

• One in eight lesbian and gay people that have experienced homophobic hate incidents have experienced unwanted sexual contact as part of the incident.

• Eight per cent of black and minority ethnic lesbian and gay people have experienced a physical assault as a homophobic hate incident, compared to four per cent of all lesbian and gay people.
• Fourteen percent of victims of homophobic hate crimes or incidents did not report them to anyone because they happen too frequently to report.
• One in ten lesbian and gay people say that being a victim of crime is their biggest worry, more than being ill or having financial debts.
• Almost half of lesbian and gay people think they are at greater risk of being physically assaulted than a heterosexual.

In response to the report, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has tasked the Ministerial Action Group on Violence to address homophobic hate crime. “In the 21st century no one in Britain should ever feel under threat of verbal or physical violence just because of their sexual orientation,” she said.