Scope's comment on Fiona Pilkington report

24 May 2011

Following the IPCC report into Leicestershire police's handling of contact with Fiona Pilkington prior to her and her daughter's death, Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of disability charity Scope, said:

“Disabled people will find the failings of Leicestershire Police in this case all too familiar. While some positive steps have been taken in recent years, we hope that this IPCC report will drive further, much needed, improvements in the way police forces respond to hate crime and persistent anti-social behaviour against disabled people.

“Many disabled people and their families experience harassment and abuse on a daily basis; simply because they are different. It often starts with low level incidents, but Scope research shows that if these aren't dealt with promptly, as in the case of Mrs Pilkington, they can escalate into more serious crimes. Many disabled people are still reluctant to report such hate crime and anti-social behaviour, but for those that do, it is vital that their concerns are taken seriously by frontline police officers and dealt with promptly and appropriately. http://www.scope.org.uk/news/attitudes-towards-disabled-people-survey

“It's encouraging that Leicestershire Police has sought to improve their structures and procedures, but tackling anti-social behaviour is not just a matter for the police. A concerted effort is required to ensure much more effective joined-up working between police forces, local authorities, housing providers, disabled people and the local community to ensure that incidents like this are never allowed to happen again.“

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