Victim’s experiences at the heart of conference on hate crime

The moving accounts of hate crime victims and their families were at the heart of a conference which brought together security professionals and the community at the University of Northampton (UON) last week.

The two-day Understanding Hate Crime: Victims and Community Perspective conference, organised by the UON Criminal Justice Team, began with the reflections of Dr Neville Lawrence OBE who relived the harrowing moments surrounding the death of his son Stephen 31 years ago. He provided those at the conference with a deep insight into the lasting impact of Stephen’s death on himself and his family.

On the day of Stephen’s death, Dr Lawrence recalled preparing a family dinner, which he left in the oven to keep warm; a meal that his son was never to eat.

He said: “I was watching the news and the doorbell rang. I was thinking ‘why’s he ringing [the bell], he’s got his own key.’ When I went to the door it was a neighbour and her son telling me they saw Stephen being attacked.”

When asked what he thought was the way forward in the fight against hate crime, Dr Lawrence said: “Change will have to come from the younger generation as they often have better understanding of other cultures than older generations.”

In a video message from Figen Murray OBE, whose son Martyn Hett was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack, the conference heard about the importance of the victims’ voice of and the need for policy makers to listen to those most affected when seeking to enact change and prevent further atrocities.

Mike Haines, brother of aid worker David Haines who was murdered by Islamic State in Syria in 2014, delivered a moving talk in which he outlined the importance of forgiveness in erasing hate. He also spoke of his valuable of work in schools, where he spreads messages of unity and tolerance.

As a Professor of Criminal History, UON Vice Chancellor Professor Anne Maire Kilday said she was honoured to provide the conference’s opening remarks.

She added: “As we embark upon this journey over the next two days, let us be guided by spirit of empathy, a commitment to justice, and a resolve to make a tangible difference.

“Let us listen intently, speak courageously and act decisively. For it is through our collective efforts that we can dismantle the structures of hate and replace them with foundations of understanding and compassion.”

Stephen Shackell, Director of Intelligence and Risk at Zinc Systems said that while working in the private security sector he regularly attends conferences on counterterrorism and extremism.

He said: “I think there’s a lot of learning that has come from this conference and I think it shouldn’t stop here. I think there’s a lot of expertise that has come here, that could inspire further research and further education within government, policing, the private security sector community and other community sectors. This could have a profound impact on hate and extremism in the UK and internationally.”

For more information about studying Criminal Justice visit the UON website.