Formal agreement with Hinckley and Bosworth Council

The Commission welcomed the steps Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council have put in place to create a stronger safety net to protect disabled people from hate crime following the tragic death of Fiona Pilkington and her severely disabled daughter seven years ago.

An inquest into the deaths two years later found community safety failings on behalf of various responsible authorities in whose area the family lived. The local authority accepted their failings and entered into a formal agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to overhaul their policies and procedures with a view to eliminating disability related harassment and promoting positive attitudes towards disabled people.

The agreement terms included the appointment of an independent auditor with expertise in hate crime to assess in relation to the case what Hinckley and Bosworth needed to do to improve community safety.

Following a report and an action plan a major initiative to emerge was the creation of a ‘safer town centre’ scheme. This provides places where people in vulnerable situations can turn if they are being victimised or harassed. Hinckley and Bosworth are also working to promote better understanding and awareness of hate crime in the community.

The Council acknowledges that more needs to be done, especially in terms of stepping up their engagement with groups of people with learning disabilities. There are also several areas where follow-up work is continuing in partnerships with Leicestershire Police and Leicestershire County Council as recommended by the Commission’s Disability Hate Crime Inquiry.

Last Updated: 08 Dec 2015