J was experiencing anti-social behaviour and hate crime in her community due to being transgender. Her perpetrators would shout at her when she was talking to other neighbours and say offensive things when she was leaving her home. The perpetrators also threatened to expose the fact she is transgender to the wider community, causing her a great deal of anxiety.
Due to the location of her home, she also felt isolated and had no support close by. J felt reluctant to report the incidents to the Police as she was concerned she would not be taken seriously and feared reprisals from her close neighbours that were causing her issues.
She contacted the Community Safety Team and discussed her concerns. The Community Safety Team gave her advice and told her to log the incidents and report any new issues to them straight away and the Police where possible. They also provided safety equipment, including CCTV and window alarms to make her feel safer. Despite interventions, J’s situation got gradually worse to the extent that she was keeping her curtains closed during the day, so she didn’t have to see anybody. J also would not let her dog out into the garden as she was worried the perpetrators would cause the dog harm.
J was out in the road when a neighbouring property captured CCTV evidence of verbal abuse. She contacted the Community Safety Team and the Team were able to warn the perpetrators for their unacceptable behaviour and this improved things and the verbal abuse stopped. J made the decision that she wanted to move as she didn’t feel safe despite interventions. J was fearful about never being able to live peacefully and enjoy a safe home.
So how did we support J…
- The Community Safety Team assisted J with registering on Monmouthshire Homesearch and supported her application. They also put J in touch with the local Hate Crime Officer for further support and offered her counselling.
- J was eventually offered another property out of the area due to her current safety and welfare concerns. J is now thriving in her new home and is a strong member of her community, using her experiences as a transgender person to empower others. She enjoys great relationships with her new neighbours who are very supportive of her and this has made a big difference to her life.
Today
J feels she is finally ‘able to move forward and be herself, without the fear of being judged’ and feels safe in her home and community.