New project will make it easier to report racial harassment

Race Equality First is launching a new “Reporting Racial Harassment Project” to make it easier for people to report racist incidents.  The Project will be launched at 9.30 am on Tuesday 4 August 2009 at County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff.
 

Racial Harassment can include:

• Verbal racial abuse including derogatory remarks about a person’s culture or ethnic origin
• Threatening behaviour including spitting or abusive telephone calls and text messages
• Physical assault, personal attacks
• Damage to property and belongings, including smashing windows, damaging cars, dumping rubbish, including excrement, in people’s gardens or letter boxes
• Arson, including putting burning rags, paper, etc in or near victim’s homes

In April 2009, Race Equality First’s research report, “Race Hate Crime in Cardiff 2009” revealed that racial harassment was a major issue for a significant proportion of the city’s residents.  Yet the report also found that that more than 70% of those surveyed who had experienced race hate crime did not report it – either because they believed there was no point in doing so, they did not know how to, or they were afraid of the perpetrators.
 

In order to address these issues Race Equality First is launching the “Racial Harassment Reporting Project” which will enable victims and witnesses to report racist incidents more easily via an online reporting form on this website, by telephoning the office on 029 2022 4097 or emailing: advice@raceequalityfirst.org.uk.
 

Cllr Judith Woodman, Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council will formally launch the “Reporting Racial Harassment Project” at this special event.  There will also be a presentation by Race Equality First and guest speakers from South Wales Police.  Hodan Hersi, Race Equality Officer (Casework) at Race Equality First said, “We hope that by encouraging people to report racial harassment the crime will be dealt with more effectively and as a result racist incidents will be reduced and community relations improved in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan”. 
 

Supported by Cardiff Council and South Wales Police, the project aims to develop a partnership approach to tackling racial harassment and to increase confidence within individuals and communities so that if people experience racist incidents they can be assured the incident it will be recorded and investigated.
 

If you would like to attend the launch please let us know by calling Race Equality First on 029 2022 4097 or emailing us at info@raceequalityfirst.org.uk.