After my initial complaint to the Torquay Police was filed, I suspect, in the waste-paper bin, I took the matter up with one of the Diversity team at a recent Independent Advisory Group meeting with the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority where I serve as a member of the Gender Committee. He assured me that even though the slurs and derogatory language were not directed at any one person in particular, it still could be regarded as a hate crime and that he would make further enquiries.
He has just contacted me to inform me that as several other Police Authorities have received complaints over the article, he had contacted the Head Diversity officer in London wanting to know if there was going to be a national response or if PA's were to proceed individually and he has volunteered to be the collator of information if the police decide to take action nationally as he was as appalled by the article as many people were.
He also apologised for the lack of action by my local police station and I shall be following this up as well shortly.
great work, thanks for your efforts!
ReplyDeleteWe all need to stand up to this bullying by people who have power as journalists and can influence societiy's attitudes towards us
ReplyDeleteThank you Carol greatly. You are so right, we do need to stick together and show the world and this contemptible woman that she isn't above the law, just like any of us.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing that came out of this is the amount of support that we received from educated and fair minded journalists and the general public.
DeleteMaybe, just maybe something good will come out from this - now wouldn't that be bitter-sweet??
Thank you for this! I've been wanting to report that article and didn't know where to go. Now I know it's to my local police I feel like I can do something positive. Do you have any advice on how to go about filing a complaint? Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteHi Rae,
DeleteI think if you wish to report it as a Hate Crime, look up the name of your local Diversity Officer on your Police Authority's web site and get in contact with him or her about it as s/he will be more aware of what to do about it.
Make sure that you have either a print out of the article or at least be able to show him or her the article online. It was withdrawn from the Observer's web site where it was originally published, but was then republished on the Telegraph's web site by Toby Young (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100198116/here-is-julie-burchills-censored-observer-article/)
Good luck, the more it is reported to the police, the more serious that they will take it.
Carol xx