Cornwall man 'had to move away after homophobic attack'

Figures show an increase in hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people compared to last year

A man who was the victim of a homophobic attack in Cornwall said he was forced to move away because he felt "unsafe in his own town".

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, was leaving a pub with friends in Camborne in July 2022 when he was assaulted and homophobic slurs were shouted at him.

He said: "It was just horrific... he just kept punching and kicking."

It comes as figures show hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people have risen.

The man, who was hospitalised with his injuries, has since moved to Birmingham.

He said: "Since that incident happened I really don't feel safe walking round there [Camborne]. I keep shaking, when I hear a bang I jump, I'm always looking behind me."

'Love is love'

He said a lot of the injuries he had were "on the inside and not on the outside... mentally I'm not there; I really suffer".

He added: "Why does this happen? At the end of the day love is love, if it's a man and a man, a woman and a woman, a man and a woman, it doesn't change who you are."

Responding to a Freedom of Information request, Devon and Cornwall Police figures showed that in the year to August hate crimes relating to LGBTQ+ people had increased month on month in comparison to 2021.

For example, in May 2021, 46 hate crimes were recorded while in May 2022 there were 66. In August 2021 the figure was 75, compared to 94 this August

In total, 554 hate crimes were recorded up to the end of August. In 2021 there were 442 in the same period and 701 for the entire year. In 2020 a total of 477 were recorded.

Supt Antony Hart said hate crime would not be tolerated

Supt Antony Hart, from the force, said it was not acceptable to target a person based on their personal characteristics.

He said officers would do their "very best to bring people to justice" and hate crimes would "not be tolerated".

He added: "We know hate crime has risen across the country and within Devon and Cornwall we've seen a rise in reported hate crime in the last year.

"It is important to point out we know hate crime is under reported so I see the increase in reporting as a cautiously positive thing."

Matthew Kenworthy Gomes, chief executive of Cornwall Pride, said the increase was "concerning".

Matthew Kenworthy Gomes is the chief executive of Cornwall Pride

Mr Kenworthy Gomes said he came out while he was at secondary school, which was a "really difficult time".

"I had lots of verbal abuse, I've been beaten up a couple of times - well more than a couple of times - directly because I'm gay," he said.

Of the attack in July 2022, he said: "It should never have happened in Camborne, it shouldn't happen anywhere in the South West."

Mr Kenworthy Gomes added that divisions in society were increasing.

He added: "Hate crime is rising and that conversation of division and because of all these challenges around us that division is growing."