Trans hate crime rises sharply in South East - figures

Shea Coffey says walking down the street has become difficult

Recorded hate crimes against transgender people in the South East have risen to the highest level in five years, Home Office figures have shown.

More than 400 of the offences were recorded last year - an 80% increase on the number in 2018.

Kent Police said the increase could be explained by a rise in reporting and more "trust" from communities.

However, Shea Coffey, a transgender woman from Chatham, Kent, said she has had people "shouting abuse" at her outside her own front door.

She said she has been forced to put up cameras on her home because she was becoming "increasingly concerned" about hate crime.

"You get the ones that are really scary," she said.

"You can see it in their eyes that they really, really mean it and they really, really want to cause hurt."

Ms Coffey has installed trackers on her family members' mobile phones out of concern for their safety

Recorded hate crimes against transgender people in England and Wales rose 11% in the last year.

However, Ch Supt Amanda Tillotson from Kent Police said she believed the figures reflected increased reporting which meant more confidence in officers.

She said: "It means that those members of communities have the trust and confidence to report crimes to us and give us the opportunity to investigate them thoroughly. "

However, Leni Morris from Galop, an LGBTQIA+ anti abuse charity, said: "What we have seen is an escalating, unchecked public narrative which is loudly negative and critical, particularly towards trans and non-binary people.

"This has had an effect on perpetration of hate crime against the entire community."

Ms Coffey, who said she was fearful walking down the street, added: "People need to understand that trans people just want to live their lives.

"We are really ordinary people."

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