Samir75017
29-11-13, 12:12
Thursday 28 Nov 2013
A father who says his daughter killed herself after being bullied about her ginger hair wants such behaviour to be called a hate crime.
Enda Farrell believes discrimination against redheads should become a criminal offence in the same way that racial, religious and sexual hatred is illegal.
He says daughter Helena, 15, whose body was found in woodland near her home in January, took her life to escape abuse about her hair colour.
An inquest into the cause of her death has been opened and adjourned.
‘People need to realise when they say the things they do, it can have deeply traumatising effects and lead to self-harm and suicide,’ said Mr Farrell.
He spoke out after last month’s unofficial ‘Kick a Ginger Day’ led to attacks on pupils across Britain.
Mr Farrell, of Kendal, Cumbria, wants police forces to follow Greater Manchester police, which in April became the first to record attacks on subcultures such as goths, emos and punks as hate crimes.
At present, a hate crime in England and Wales is recorded if it concerns race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity.
Mr Farrell’s concerns were echoed by Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron, who has asked home secretary Theresa May about her plans to ensure action is taken against those who persecute others on the basis of hair colour.
Cumbria police said there were no plans to change its policy but it added: ‘Just because something is not categorised as a hate crime, we would still expect the same quality of investigation.’
Helena Farrell: Ginger bullying (http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/28/enda-farrell-ginger-bullying-is-a-crime-of-hatred-4206623/)
A father who says his daughter killed herself after being bullied about her ginger hair wants such behaviour to be called a hate crime.
Enda Farrell believes discrimination against redheads should become a criminal offence in the same way that racial, religious and sexual hatred is illegal.
He says daughter Helena, 15, whose body was found in woodland near her home in January, took her life to escape abuse about her hair colour.
An inquest into the cause of her death has been opened and adjourned.
‘People need to realise when they say the things they do, it can have deeply traumatising effects and lead to self-harm and suicide,’ said Mr Farrell.
He spoke out after last month’s unofficial ‘Kick a Ginger Day’ led to attacks on pupils across Britain.
Mr Farrell, of Kendal, Cumbria, wants police forces to follow Greater Manchester police, which in April became the first to record attacks on subcultures such as goths, emos and punks as hate crimes.
At present, a hate crime in England and Wales is recorded if it concerns race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity.
Mr Farrell’s concerns were echoed by Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron, who has asked home secretary Theresa May about her plans to ensure action is taken against those who persecute others on the basis of hair colour.
Cumbria police said there were no plans to change its policy but it added: ‘Just because something is not categorised as a hate crime, we would still expect the same quality of investigation.’
Helena Farrell: Ginger bullying (http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/28/enda-farrell-ginger-bullying-is-a-crime-of-hatred-4206623/)