Attacks On Goths, Emos And Punks To Be Deemed As Hate Crimes In UK

April 5th, 2013

Kriston McConnell

Manchester police have made local headlines by being the first to treat attacks on goths, emos and punks as a hate crime. This is following a 2007 case where a girl was kicked to death in Bacup, Lancashire because she was dressed like a goth. You can read a brief statement on the issue from a Manchester police spokesperson by taking a look below the jump. The entire Huffington Post UK article can be read here.

What are your thoughts on Manchester’s decision? Do you think that this law should be followed not just in Manchester but across other cities, states, even countries? Let us know your thoughts!

From April 2013 Greater Manchester Police also now records alternative sub-culture related hate crime.

“We have done this following work we have carried out in partnership with the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, as we feel that adding this extra category of hate crime will help us better understand how some people are suffering from crimes because of their appearance, and better respond to the needs of victims of crime.

Miss Lancaster, 20, was kicked and stamped to death because she was dressed as a goth in a park in Bacup in August 2007. She slipped into a coma and never regained consciousness.

The foundation is campaigning to get hate crimes laws expanded to include “alternative subcultures or lifestyle and dress” and has gained support from musicians including Gary Numan and Courtney Love.

There are no immediate plans to change the national hate crimes register, but last year Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone acknowledged that the five recognized categories of hate crime was “an incomplete list”.