This evening I watched Targeted: The Truth about Disability Hate Crime on the BBC.
Congratulations to everyone who took part in this programme and shared their harrowing stories, including my friend Terry McCorry from Leonard Cheshire in Northern Ireland.
Watch here: bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000rh4p
Every disabled person has their own stories about being the victim of a hate crime and being targeted solely because of their disability.
Whilst I’ve been lucky to have never been attacked physically, I have been at the receiving end of taunts in person and online.
One such occasion, in an Omagh nightclub during the 90s, I was told by a young woman to go home. People were out to have a good time and my presence there was ruining their night. I was called all sorts of names by her. The c-word; the m-word; the s-word, and the h-word, amongst others. I went home early and cried myself to sleep that night.
Recently, I had a medical appointment in Omagh. I did not hear it at the time due to my hearing loss, but I was being pointed at; laughed at; mocked at. and having my photo taken by more young people. I was even mocked for wearing a face mask in the middle of a pandemic.
A friend witnessed this and approached the teenagers on my behalf. I am very grateful to have friends like her, who are willing to defend me. I’m glad I didn’t see this, but makes me wonder what goes unmissed by me everyday.
Even last week, I was at the receiving end of relentless abuse on Twitter, from a nameless troll, for the entire weekend. This was happening day and night, at all hours He was mocking me, because of my disability, how I look and relationships I have. This went on for three full days and nights.
Looking at his profile, he was targeting a select few others as well. A Democratic supporter in the US (who he wanted to kill), an Aboriginal woman in Australia (who he told was too good for r*ping) and several other non-white people (who he told shouldn’t have escaped the slave trade).
Thankfully many people on Twitter reported him and his account, but it took several days for Twitter to act and suspend his account. However, as a friend quite rightly pointed out to me – “They’ll be back on in no time harassing people. I wish Twitter would just IP ban people like this to be honest”.
A few years ago, I took part in a UK House of Commons study to reform the cyberbullying laws, to include disability hate crime. There were big announcements about this under #HarveysLaw, but to my knowledge, nothing ever came of it. Despite my constant request for information.
In Northern Ireland, the total recorded (disability motivated) crimes in 2009/2010 was 40 and only , but it rose to 72 in 2019/2020. This is a 80% increase in 10 years! Source: psni.police.uk.
Disability Hate Crime needs to be part of new Hate Crime Legislation in the UK and I call Naomi Long and The Department of Justice to review local legislation too.