A public meeting aimed at tackling “hate crime” will be held in the Civic Room at Strabane Library tomorrow, beginning at 7.00pm.
The meeting, organised by the Police and Community Partnership (PCSP), has been welcomed by Strabane Sinn Fein Cllr Karina Carlin, who said “hate crime” was an issue that needed to be highlighted.
The event follows a report produced last year by the Strabane LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) group which highlighted the problem of homophobic attacks and isolation/marginalisation of the LGBT community.
Following a presentation to Strabane District Council, Cllr Carlin and her party colleagues on the PCSP, secured tomorrow night’s meeting dedicated to tackling “hate crime.”
Cllr Carlin said there not only to needed to be an increase in community awareness about the nature and impact on victims of this form of crime but ways needed to be found to combat and “engender” a zero tolerance approach to `’hate crime.”
Cllr Carlin said: “We know that ‘hate crime’ takes many different forms whether it be against people with disabilities or whether it be sectarian, homophobic or racist in nature.
Cllr Karina Campbell.
“For the victim, it can take the form of bullying, intimidation, online threats and abuse, criminal damage to property, extending to serious physical assaults and its impact can often have devastating life-long consequences.
“Often it is children and young people who have a disability or who are perceived to be in any way different who are the targets of some of the most persistent forms of bullying and abuse and many parents, whose children who are at the receiving end of this, are keen that that this issue be brought to the fore of this debate.”
Cllr Carlin concluded: “So I would urge everyone with an interest in equality and social justice to attend this important meeting and take part in the discussion to increasingly find ways combat this scourge of hate crime.”
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