Fifteen years after Sophie Lancaster was brutally kicked to death for being a goth, we are still discussing the prevalence of hate crime against people from alternative sub-cultures.

In late 2018 the government asked the Law Commission to undertake a wider and more in-depth review of the hate crime laws than previously undertaken. A key question was to examine whether any further characteristics should be added to the current five strands which are…

Race
Religion
Sexual Orientation
Disability
Transgender Identity

In December 2021, the recommendation came back that alternative sub-cultures should not be added to the list of monitored strands of hate crime. One of the reasons it failed was that there wasn’t enough evidence that criminal targeting of this group was prevalent.

There was not “a strong demonstrable need to extend protection to this group.”

We have so many phone calls and emails telling us about the abuse, harassment, and appalling violence that people have suffered, where the only motivation has been their sub-cultural identity or appearance.

Fifteen years after Sophie’s murder, we are asking what has changed?

If there is not enough data that targeting alternative sub-cultures is prevalent, then we will gather our own. We have developed a questionnaire to find out how the alternative community is being affected by Hate Crime. (A Hate Crime is any criminal offence that is motivated by hostility and prejudice towards a person’s identity or perceived identity.)  We ask about the type of incident and if you have reported a hate crime, then what your experience of that was.

So please, help us to help you and fill in the questionnaire, let you friends and family know about it and together we are stronger.

THIS SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED