2006 - HOMOPHOBIC ASSAULTS

' A LACK OF 'TRUE VISION'

 

May 2006: (Helston Flora Day) Lidbury along with another gay/bi male whilst attending Helston Flora Day funfair were violently assaulted at Castle Green carpark. The other gay/bi male victim was bottled over the head, and then violently kicked in the head, face chest & stomach by assailants. Lidbury shielded the prone victim with his body, preventing attempts by the multiple assailants to stamp on the victims head. The assault witnessed by numerous persons, many of whom were also gay.

However when one victim reported to the police it was a ‘homophobic assault’, police told the victim to: quote “Shut up, be quiet, you don’t want to say that”. However Lidbury, who was the 2nd assault victim, knew as a gay equality campaigner this homophobic police attitude was entirely contrary to the 'True Vision' police policy on dealing with a homophobic incident & CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) policy on homophobic incidents.

 

True Vision Policy:

The three police officers attending the assault allowed the drunken assailants to leave the scene (police actually helped the assailants into a taxi). This was despite Lidbury having positively identified the assailants, to police. Lidbury drove the injured assault victim to West Cornwall hospital for stitches & x-ray. Directly due to hostile & prejudicial attitude of police attending the scene, none of the other several gay persons witness to the incident felt safe to come forward to homophobic Cornwall police.

Lidbury went the following day to the local Helston police station to provide a statement.  Lidbury was threatened by police if he (Lidbury) pursued making a complaint regarding the assault incident, they (police) would prosecute the other gay victim. The gay youth previously abused & targeted by police was amongst several witnesses who did not feel safe to come forward as a witness due to personal experiences of homophobic police in Cornwall.

Cornwall police have ALWAYS refused to identify the police officers responsible for this abuse.

The police intimidation regarding an alleged (false) allegation of a serious arrest able offence involving the other victim was most successful in intimidating him into not proceeding against the Helston police officers concerned. However Lidbury did proceed.

 

Despite considerable obstruction from Devon & Cornwall police (Three police officers at Helston police station refused to take Lidbury’s complaint or statement of assault) Lidbury eventually won (as victim) a court case against one of the assailants for ‘common assault’.

 

No thanks to obstructive attitude of homophobic Devon & Cornwall police.

 

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