No-one deserves to suffer abuse because of the way they look

Editor, 

Every day people in Oldham with a disfigurement are subject to harassment and abuse because of how they look.

That’s why Changing Faces are launching the first ever hate crime campaign aimed at informing people with disfigurements about their rights if they are the victims of abuse. 

Many people don’t even realise they can report abuse as a hate crime and far too often simply suffer in silence.

There are on average 67,000 disability hate crimes a year, and yet only half of those are reported to the police.

We want that to change.

Looking different in a society where there is such pressure to look a certain way is tough.

We want to see hate crimes that target appearance recognised and reported.

No-one deserves to suffer abuse because of the way they look, and it’s time to break the cycle of hate in our society.

This campaign which is funded by the Home Office will encourage people, along with their friends, families and any onlookers, to be able to recognise hate crimes and have the confidence and the means to report them.

We also want to see better training for the police so that they can deal with hate crimes sensitively and effectively.

Help us to break the cycle of #VisibleHate.

Speak up, speak out, together let’s stop it.

Becky Hewitt

Chief Executive

Changing Faces

The views expressed are those of the author of the letter and not those of Oldham Chronicle.