GOLD medal-winning wheelchair fencer Adrian Derbyshire has helped to launch the Warrington Partnership Hate Crime strategy.
Warrington
Borough Council, Cheshire Police and their partners from across the
borough have put together a joint strategy to fight hate crime.
The launch event featured a screening of Rise Above, a powerful film made at Penketh High School.
Adrian,
who is currently Trustee of the Warrington Disability Partnership and a former international sword fencer who carried the Olympic and Paralympic torches last year,
said: “It’s great to see a powerful coalition of diverse organisations
come together in Warrington to make a concerted effort to stamp out hate
crime.”
Also speaking at the launch were Ruth Purdie, assistant chief constable of Cheshire Police, and Councillor Maureen McLaughlin.
Purdie
said: “Hate crime means harassing, victimising, intimidating or abusing
someone because of their race, faith, religion, disability, sexual
orientation or gender identity.
“It can involve physical attacks or
threats of violence, but it’s important to recognise that it can also
include harassing someone, swearing at them, making abusive remarks, or
doing things that intimidate or distress them.
“All of us have a role
to play in stamping out hate crime. So I would urge anyone who feels
they are a victim of a hate crime or incident, or who thinks they have
witnessed a hate crime, to please contact the police immediately by
phoning 101. Of course, in an emergency always telephone 999.”
