Homophobes killed Welsh man’s cat and then sent sympathy card
The chief executive of an LGBT support group has revealed that homophobes made his life a misery to the extent they killed his pet cat.
Andrew Davies from Swansea moved house after receiving anonymous homophobic threats for a year and a half.
Mr Davies, chief executive officer for Unity Group Wales, said people would push notes under his door, saying they were worried about the safety of their children “because I was gay”.
He told BBC Wales: “It got to the point then when they actually killed my cat and sent me a sympathy card for the cat”.
Mr Davies said he was then moved by his local housing association to a different home and that police provided him with good support throughout his dreadful ordeal.
He believes social media made it easier for him to be targeted.
“Social media is a fantastic thing when it’s used properly… but it’s also quite a nasty weapon of hate that is being used a lot more these days”.
Latest figures show 1,810 hate crimes were reported in Wales from 2012 to last year.
The numbers have been described as just the “tip of the iceberg”, by the nation’s Communities Minister, Jeff Cuthbert.
The Labour Assembly Member said: “Cultural changes are needed so that future generations can live in a Wales which is equal, fair and welcoming to people from different backgrounds and cultures.
“We want our young people and children to grow up in a Wales where people are accepted for who they are and not judged because of the colour of their skin, their religion, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their disability or their age.”
A new helpline and website for the victims of hate crime has been launched by the Welsh Government as part of its Framework for Action.
It will cover all hate crimes, including race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender and age.
