Investigation closed into Liverpool "hate crime" assault

Enquiries carried out by detectives have now established that a hate crime assault alleged to have taken place at Mann Island on Saturday 4 September did not happen.

At around 3.10am Merseyside Police received a report of a man in the canal next to Mann Island apartments. Emergency services attended and the man was taken to hospital. He did not suffer any serious injuries.

Officers launched a full investigation, speaking with the alleged victim, potential witnesses and reviewing CCTV footage from the area.

CCTV recordings have identified that the man was alone when he entered the water at the dock, it showed no third party involvement and the investigation has been closed.

DCI Paul Speight said: “We stand very firmly against hate crime and will thoroughly investigate any such reports.

“The determination of officers to probe all the evidence in order to achieve justice for the alleged victim has now established that the reported offence did not take place.

“In order to protect the LGBT+ community here in Merseyside, we take all reports seriously and follow all appropriate lines of enquiry.

“If you report a hate crime, please be assured that we will fully support you and devote significant resources to identifying offenders and bringing them to justice.”

DCI Speight added: “We will not tolerate people being targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity here in Merseyside.

“We saw an increase in hate crimes related to sexual orientation and gender identity earlier this summer, and secured a number of arrests following incidents in Liverpool city centre and elsewhere in Merseyside.

“In response, we increased patrols and engagement across Liverpool city centre, with officers maintaining a 24-hour presence to keep people safe.

“Our resolve to remove all forms of hate from the streets of Merseyside remains undimmed, and we will go on putting targeted proactive police patrols where they are needed, and investigating all reports so that offenders are brought to justice and potential victims are protected.”

If you have any information about hate crime please contact the Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police Contact Centre. You can also call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111, or their online form at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously

If, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK to run a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625 or www.stophateuk.org. You can also download the Stop Hate UK reporting app on Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Across Merseyside, we also have a number of third party reporting centres including fire stations, citizens advice bureaus and hospitals. A list of locations can be viewed here: merseyside-third-party-hate-crime-reporting-centres.pdf

Dedicated support for victims of hate crime is also available through the Victim Care Merseyside service delivered by Citizens Advice. They can be contacted at lgbthatecrime@caliverpool.org.uk or by calling 0151 522 1400 ext. 5006.