LGB&T Dorset Equality Network was very pleased to receive today (29th June) a most important and welcome ‘Community Assurance’ email from Dorset Police’s Inspector Darren Harris (Bournemouth South Neighbourhood Policing Team) concerning the brutal attack of a group of transphobes in Nth Bournemouth last week against a Trans community member.
This further to our swift representation and call for action on this violent attack on Raul and by extension the whole BCP area Trans and LGBT+ community, that we represented to the DPCC and Dorset Police: https://lgbtdorsetequality.network/violent-attack-on-trans-community-member-in-bournemouth-network-takes-action-with-alert-to-dpcc/
Inspector Harris updated the Network that Dorset Police had, realising the importance and significance of the attack [which according to ourselves / the Network, along with many others on our LGBT+ community side, had a major tarnishing impact on the name of Bournemouth as an inclusive LGBT+ safe & friendly resort and town] focused major attention on tracing and making direct contact with the victim of the attack. This to gather much fuller detail in order to maximise tracing the anti-LGBT group in the Nth Dorset area where the horrific attack took place.
We are being kept update in earnest by Dorset Police on the action they are taking, and hope that the attackers will soon be identified and apprehended. This will do much to reassure and support or Bournemouth area LGBT+ community, and of course counteract the very negative national and even international attention caused to Bournemouth given the nature of this horrific attack.
We are very pleased that Dorset Police are taking this matter with the seriousness it deserves; we thank Inspector Harris for his contact to us, and also the Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner (DPCC) for his support.