HATE CRIME RAIDS IN LONDON

Over one hundred people were arrested in raids carried out across London by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). The raids form part of Operation Athena, designed to focus on bringing offenders to justice; carried out to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on Sunday.

“Athena is now in its ninth year, and we retain a relentless commitment to tackling all forms of domestic violence, homophobic, transphobic and other forms of hate crime, whilst continually improving our services to victims and potential victims,” said Acting Detective Superintendent Gerry Campbell, who heads Operation Athena.

“Today’s operation sends out a clear message: violence in any form is unacceptable. We will continue to proactively identify, arrest and seek the prosecution of violent people.

“The operation involves targeting “dangerous and prolific” offenders, along with high-visibility patrols and measures to encourage hate crime victims to come forward.

“We remain concerned that such crimes remain unreported, which we understand can be for a number of different reasons. However, we would like to urge any victims of such crimes to come forward and speak with us. We have access to dedicated, specialist care to support you and keep you safe”, he said.

The MPS has 215 lesbian gay bisexual and transgender liaison officers working across London advising, guiding and supporting police officers and staff in their everyday dealings with LGBT people who live, work and visit London.