Published on 12, July, 2020
Please help any suggestions or ideas as we are living a nightmare!
Hello
My name is Mark and I live with my family, two children many animals and my partner whom is a nurse wthin the Wigan Bourough and am a disabled man having autism with dyslexia.
I have been subjected to sporadic bullying and harassment from three of my neighbours for over 10 years.
However during the spring to summer, of 2020 this harassment took a new turn when I was physically assaulted by one of them and two other neighbours became involved in the group harassment.
Then we also had a change of occupancy of two other households. These new neighbours appear to have been recruited by the original protagonists.
This brings the total of harassing group households upto seven.
The incidents have become more frequent in the last few months and the threats have become more violent in nature and with every incident reported to the Pilice and the police being unwilling to prosecute, the protagonists seem to be getting embolden by this apparent impunity.
Some of the attacks we are subject to appear to be coordinated and the Police and council appear to have very little interest (or powers). They keep just saying there is no evidence ( i have supplied them with what i consider reasonable evidence).
The authorities that I have contacted so far, for support seem unable to understand that not only is the crimes against me very difficult for an autistic person to deal with, but so is the need to communicate with the agency itself.
The incidents I have been subject to include:-
This is not an exhaustive list just the low lights of their collective, coordinated and sustained behaviour.
Please can you help we are desperate to be left alone, to live life peacefully and are growing increasingly concerned about their behaviour effecting our 6 year old son and are having issues sleeping and being on high alert is wearing and overwhelming at times.
The police refuse to acknowledge this as a hate crime or investigate the extent of the group aspect and seem disinterested (or powerless), in the bullying and assaulting of a disabled man and his family.
An added complexity but context, to the issue is that the protagonists are on the face of it what the police call " people of good standing " , being retired from work in semi skilled blue and white colour professionals and some still working in none management white collar positions. They all keep their homes neat and tidy and have average cars not luxury just normal entry to mid range vehicles.
So as an autistic individual with high functioning autism and university educated but working as a handy man (I have worked in fund management in past and as a university lecturer but my autism has mentioned I have been unable to sustain a career) locally I appear to be socially subordinate, when the police deal with me. But the reverse is true in terms of my ability to cognitively understand the issues. But the neighbours involved just lie and I am left trying to justify my peacefull, law obiding activities against a set of lies perpetrated on me to cover the protagonists horrid behaviour.
The police have stated to me that because of the number of people saying the same things about me that it does appear I am to blame! These statements leave me sick to my stomach with huge and ever increasing burden of anxiety.
The neighboyrsvtgat do know me also speak of the behaviour of these households as disgusting and that they all appear to have a vendetta against myself and my family just because we are different. But the neighbours that remain supportive don't want to become involved or publicly show support for us as they ( understandably) don't want to be subject to any of the disgusting behaviour we receive.
Please please help us we are desperate for help and support.
Thank you for reading
Mark
Dear Mark,
I am a person with autism and mental health and this makes my blood boil to hear your story on what you have been through. I feel it is shocking the way you have been treated and proves in today's law system there need to be more innovation in supporting people with disabilities/mental health regarding looking out for hate crime because we cover more and more of the population as time goes on. Peter and Dawn have more understanding of the law compared to myself. I strongly stand with peter's points on how to handle this situation.
I looked up these sites for you:
stop hate crime UK: www.stophateuk.org/.../
Hourglass: wearehourglass.org/physical-abuse
For Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/disabilityhatecrimenetwork/about/
Victim support: www.victimsupport.org.uk/.../
Hopefully, any evidence you currently have could be voiced there.
Please let me know how you get on and if you are in need of any more help.
What a kind statement, thank you and I will visit each site - thank you