Hate Crime

Racial, homophobic behaviours, domestic and sexual violence are hate crimes. This means that no one should be harassed, abused or attacked because of who they are or what they believe in.

Southwark council and the police are working with voluntary agencies to encourage reporting of hate crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.

In this section, you'll find information about the different types of crimes and how to find help if you are a victim.

Racially motivated crime

Racial harassment is any unwelcome or hostile behaviour that is linked to your colour, race, nationality or ethnic origin. Racist incidents, which can range from abuse or intimidation to actual physical violence, are criminal activities and should be reported to the police.

You have a right not to be racially harassed while at work and employers have an obligation to make sure that they protect you against harassment. For more information and advice, visit the Commission for Racial Equality website. 

Reporting

In Southwark, you can contact the police community support unit (CSU) on 020 7232 6237 to report a racist incident. The CSU has specially trained police officers who provide support, information and advice to victims of race crime. They are based at Walworth Police Station, 12-28 Manor Place, SE17.

Local support agencies

If you do not want to make a report to the police, there are a number of local organisations listed below that can support and assist you in making a report. The report will be taken in confidence and passed on to the police only if you agree.

Acorn Surgery 
Tel: 020 7639 5055
36A Meeting House Lane
London
SE15 

Bede House
Tel: 020 7237 9162
351 Southwark Park Road
London
SE16

Peckham CAB
Tel: 0870 1212 016
97 Peckam High Street
London
SE15

Victim Support Southwark
Tel: 020 7378 8886
62 Borough High Street
London
SE1 

Domestic violence

The Government defines domestic violence as any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. This includes issues of concern to black and minority ethnic (BME) communities such as so called 'honour killings.'

Domestic violence is under reported, but research shows that

• One in four women and one in six men will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime
• 89% of those suffering four or more incidents are women
• One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute
• On average, two women a week are killed by a current or former male partner
• Domestic violence accounts for 16 per cent of all violent crime

Homophobic crime

What is homophobia?

Homophobia is the irrational hatred, intolerance and fear of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. It's often expressed visibly, audibly and sometimes violently.

Homophobic crime violence includes a range of behaviour: Verbal abuse, property damage, threats and actual assaults. Such behaviour is attributed directly to social intolerance towards those who are (or are perceived) not to be heterosexual.

Research shows that fewer than one in five homophobic incidents over a year were reported to the police.

Reasons for not reporting include

• The incident was not serious enough
• The police wouldn’t do anything if the incident was reported
• Expected negative reaction from the police
• Fear of being treated as a 'perpetrator' rather than as a victim
• Concern about 'coming out' to the police
• Fear of retaliation or isolation
• Fear of not being believed

The Southwark anti-homophobic forum meets every two months. The forum has been working together for ten years to raise awareness about homophobic incidents and encourage reporting.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Southwark work with the police and council addressing issues affecting them, such as 

• Policing
• Healthcare
• Creating friendly social spaces
• Equal rights at work
• Education
• Homophobic crime and harassment

Southwark anti-homophobic forum
Tel: 020 7525 5659
sahf_southwark@yahoo.co.uk