Hate Crime Awareness Week starts

British Transport Police

“I have cried and had flashbacks. If I was white this would not be happening to me. I do not want to be this colour sometimes. I feel like I rubbing it off it got so bad.”

These are the heart breaking words of Sukhi, a member of rail staff who was subjected to offensive, hurtful and racist abuse whilst on duty at work.

Abusing people in this way is a crime – a hate crime.

Millions of people travel on the rail network every day - very few become a victim of crime. For every million journeys made last year, we recorded only 16 crimes.

However, we do receive reports from passengers and rail staff who have been abused, harassed or even assaulted because of who they are, what they look like or what they believe in.

We take every report extremely seriously - we investigate them thoroughly and support every single victim.

This year, between Saturday 14 and Saturday 21 October, is National Hate Crime Awareness week. Officers and staff will join other agencies and organisations to stand together to reinforce the message that we won’t tolerate crimes of hate anywhere on the rail network. Everyone has the right to travel safely whatever their race, religion, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other perceived difference.

If you do report it no-one will listen, believe you, or care enough to do anything about it right? Wrong, we want people to know if it has happened to you and we will act. We are here to help and support you, deal with the perpetrator and prevent further crimes.

Throughout the awareness week, officers will be at stations across the country talking to passengers, rail staff and members of the public about the 'We Stand Together' campaign - an initiative designed to stamp out hate crime and incidents on public transport. They will also be providing practical advice on what you should do if you do become a victim or witness a hate crime.

Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Furnell, Head of Public Protection said: “As part of our We Stand Together campaign we are actively encouraging people to come forward to report hate crime to us.

“We want people to know there is never any excuse for these types of crime. Being victimised because of who you are or who people think you are is fundamentally wrong.

“If you are a victim of hate crime, or if you witness an incident that makes you feel uncomfortable, please do not suffer in silence – report it to us and we will do everything we can to help.”

You can call British Transport Police on 0800 405040 or you can contact discreetly by texting to 61016. In an emergency call 999.

If you are not comfortable talking, there are other ways to report it:

Visit report-it.org.uk to make a report, which can be anonymous.

For an anti-Muslim incident tell MAMA on 0800 456 1226, WhatsApp 0734 1846086 or at tellmamauk.org

For Anti-Semitic incidents call CST on 0208 457 9999 or report at www.cst/org.uk