Homophobic attack victim remembered in school award
An annual award for human kindness and consideration has been created in the memory of murdered gay bar manager Jody Dubrowski at his old school in Stroud.
Announcing the award Dubrowski’s step father Mike Haddock told the children “We are all different but we have to know how to treat each other. If we dare not meet the difficulties in ourselves and others, we may not grow into the healthy adults we can become.”
The first recipient was Simon Mertens, 12, from Forest Green in Nailsworth who, the ceremony learnt was an inspiration to fellow pupils despite being partially deaf.
The school head teacher Katy Harwood told the Gloucester Citizen, “The speech was not at any point about Jody. It fitted in perfectly with the ethos of Archway School about responsibility of individuals and supporting them.”
The presence of Dubrowski’s parents at the award ceremony follows their emotional statement against homophobia last month following the trial of their son’s murderers.
Mr Dobrowski, 24, a barman at Bar Risa Jongleurs, in Camden, was found unconscious in south London last year and died in hospital with head, neck and facial injuries.
The former Biology student’s injuries made him so unrecognisable that he had to be identified by his fingerprints.
Thomas Pickford, 25, and Scott Walker, 33, were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder in June.
Witnesses claimed to have heard the men shouting homophobic insults as the assault took place.
