Crime reports statistics

We share a monthly summary of homophobic (HO) and transphobic (HT) crime reports in London. These are figures for incidents and offences reported to the Metropolitan Police. Also included is the sanction detection rate (SD) for these reported cases. 

It should be stressed that here is evidence that there is significantly under-reporting of hate crimes. We are working to increase the number of reported crimes shown in these statistics by working with the police to increase public confidence in reporting.

The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) publishes statistics on all hate crimes in London on their Hate Crime Dashboard. 

2023

• January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November

2022

• January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

2021

• January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

2020
The year started off with an elevated number of homophobic hate crimes. The COVID19 lockdown has reduced the number of reports. This has now risen back to pre-COVID levels.

• December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January

2019

• December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January

2018

• December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January

2017

• December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January

2016

• December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January

2015

• December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January

2014

• December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January

 

Man convicted of murder in Tower Hamlets Park Cemetery

The trial for the murder of Ranjith ‘Roy’ Kankanamalage has concluded at the Old Bailey. A man, Erik Feld, was convicted of his murder at the Old Bailey earlier today. Sentencing will be at a later date.

Ranjith was violently attacked by Feld in the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park in August 2021. This had caused major concerns among the local residents and the LGBT+ community. Feld was charged after his DNA was found under the murdered man’s fingernails. We have since learnt that Feld had an obsession with hammer attacks and videos of such violent assaults. During the trial, he had an outburst of homophobic slurs directed at the public gallery. This reinforces the perception among the LGBT+ people that this was a homophobic attack.

Ranjith came to London to make a new life some time ago from Sri Lanka – a country where a legal sanctions and harsh prejudice against LGBTQ+ people still exists. Our condolences extend to his grown up children, his former husband and his wider family and friends. The violence he was subjected to was unconscionable, and we welcome the verdict.

We worked closely with the local police and the homicide team to ensure that they incorporated learning arising from how the Met initially mishandled murders perpetrated by Stephen Port. At a time when trust and confidence is at an all time low, we will continue to provide robust independent advice to improve the police service delivered to LGBTQ+ Londoners in all our diversity.

 

The LGBT+ Advisory Group would like to invite applications to join our group

Our recruitment round is now closed. 

We are a voluntary group of independent advisors to the Metropolitan Police. We have been working for over twenty years to make sure that they listen to community concerns and to provide advice on individual operations and on their strategic planning.

More than ever, the police needs advice from the many communities in London that they serve. We want to strengthen our own membership to reflect the diverse lived experiences of LGBT+ people in the city.

We are seeking members who are keen to see better policing for our communities and are willing to work with us to advise the police on LGBT+ issues.

If you are interested in joining the group, please send us a brief statement (no more than one side of A4) with your experience and how you think you can contribute. We can also meet up (in person or online) if you are curious about joining the group and would like to find out more.

Email: recruitment@lgbtag.org.uk

 

IOPC close to decision on re-opening of investigation into the MPS handling of the Barking & Dagenham murders

We have received an update from the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) regarding their investigation into the handling of the deaths of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor. 

They have been considering re-opening their investigation in the light of the coroner's inquest that completed last December.  The LGBT+ Advisory Group has written to the IOPC in support of further investigation if new evidence has emerged from the coroner's inquest. 

The team has completed their initial assessment. The assessment report will be sent to the relevant decision makers by the end of this week. They expect a decision to be made by Monday 21st March. 

Because of this possible extension to their investigation, the IOPC have not made public their learning report and recommendations on this case. 

[Update/1 April 2022]

We have been informed that the "Initial Assessment" is complete and concluded there is "potential significant new information and potential material flaws in the original IPCC investigation". The IOPC is moving on to the next phase of "Review". 

A new team leader and lead investigator have been appointed. They will assess whether it is necessary to consult with affected parties. The new team will then report to the regional director for a "Final Decision".

We were not given a timeframe for the conclusion of these final phases.

 

IOPC update on the investigation into the MPS handling of the Barking & Dagenham murders

The IOPC regional director for London, Sal Naseem, attended our community meeting on 24th January on the deaths of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor. We asked him for an explanation of the process to decide whether to re-open the IOPC investigation into the MPS handling of the four murders. 

We have received more details this week. [ Full letter ]

The IOPC is aware that "some of the information coming to light was potentially new information". So, they have embarked on an "initial assessment" to see if there are "compelling reasons" to re-open the investigation. There are two criteria that must both be satisfied:

The first criterion:

(1a) There is significant new information that requires further investigation and a real possibility that the new information, had it been available, would have led wholly or partly to different decisions on discipline, performance and/or referral to the CPS;

OR (1b) The original [IOPC] investigation was flawed in a manner which had a material impact on subsequent decisions on discipline, performance and/or referral to the CPS.

The second criterion: 

(2) It is necessary to require a reinvestigation in the public interest.

They are at this "initial assessment" phase. They are unable to give a clear timescale for when this will be completed. 

It is clear that the community is impatient for progress. The LGBT+ Advisory Group will continue to press them for updates.

 

IOPC finds discrimination, harassment and bullying at Charing Cross team

IOPC has found discrimination, harassment and bullying involving officers predominantly based at Charing Cross Police Station. WhatApps messages were found to contain racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments. Officers were using `banter' to excuse unacceptable behaviour.

Fourteen officers were investigated by the IOPC. 

One officers was dismissed for gross misconduct. One other resigned before the end of the investigation. Four officers attended misconduct meetings where allegations of misconduct were proven against two officers. One received a written warning and one received no further action as they had already demonstrated performance improvements. Misconduct was not proven against the two other officers. Two officers were subject to unsatisfactory performance procedures. They attended a formal meeting to discuss their performance and appropriate action going forward. Two officers were subjected to reflective practice to improve their performance. The investigation found no case to answer for the remaining four officers.

We are making it clear to the MPS, after the inquest into the Barking & Dagenham murders, this report further erodes the trust and confidence of the LGBT+ community in the Metropolitan Police. We are committed to working with the MPS to make sure lessons are learnt and actions are taken.

More details at IOPC website: 

https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/recommendations/thematic-learning-issued-address-cultural-concerns-nine-linked-investigations–

https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/recommendations/operation-hotton-recommendations-metropolitan-police-service-september-2021

 

Barking & Dagenham murders: coroner publishes report

The coroner's inquest into the circumstances and the police investigation of the deaths of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor concluded in December 2021. The jury have returned a verdict of unlawful deaths, raising many issues regarding the professionalism of the Metropolitan Police. 

Her Honour Judge Sarah Munro QC has published her report on Action to Prevent Future Deaths (PFD report)

The report gives a summary of the facts of the murder investigation and lists six Matters of Concern addressed to the Metropolitan Police, National Police Chiefs' Council, College of Policing and the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, covering

• categorisation of suspicious, non-suspicious and unexplained deaths
• interaction between specialist homicide investigators and local officers in determining ownership of investigation
• leadership in responsibility over investigations of unexplained deaths
• recording of investigation details on information systems
• handwriting verification
• need to verify identity of users of escort website

Although the disciplinary action is not in the remit of the coroner's inquest, the coroner points out to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) that the inquest has "exposed failings which were not identified by the IOPC in their investigation". 

She also commends the IOPC report to upcoming reviews of the Metropolitan Police as containing a "valuable analysis of how assumptions, stereotyping and unconscious bias may have detrimentally affected the decision-making in these investigations and contributed to the failure to identify Stephen Port as a perpetrator sooner".

The LGBT+ Advisory Group is committed to working with the Metropolitan Police to address these concerns.

 

Murder in Tower Hamlets Park Cemetery: New Arrest

Update 21 January 2022

A man has been arrested for the murder of Ranjith Kankanamalage in Tower Hamlets Park Cemetery. He will remain in custody.

We hope this marks the start of achieving some justice for Ranjith, although we appreciate this can never bring him back.

We have worked closely together with the borough commander, the homicide team, Tower Hamlets council and the local community over the course of this investigation. 

We will continue to work with the police to make sure that LGBT+ people are safe in Tower Hamlets and in all of London and. We will ensure that the ramifications of this horrific incident are fully explored.

https://news.met.police.uk/news/new-arrest-in-tower-hamlets-murder-investigation-436509

Join Us!

We are going to launch a recruitment campaign in 2022.

LGBT+ HATE CRIME STATS SUMMARY | JULY 2021 | PODCAST WITH SUBTITLES

Hate incidents are incidents reported to the police but do not involve a criminal offence. Hate offences reported to the police are criminal offences which may also be a hate incident. Sanction detections are incidents or criminal offences "solved" or "actioned" in some way by the police.

 

Murder in Tower Hamlets Park Cemetery 

Update 26 August 2021

We are assisting the MPS in the murder of Ranjith Kankanamalage (also known as Roy) in Tower Hamlets Park Cemetery.  We are making sure that LGBT+ issues are addressed in the investigation of this tragic death. We are also advising on the wider police response regarding safety in Tower Hamlets and the whole of London. 

The police is treating this as a homophobic attack but remains open to other lines of inquiry.

A man arrested on Friday 20th remains under investigation. The police has released an image of the victim and is urgently appealing for witnesses.

Ranjith's body was found in the cemetery on the morning of August 16. The post mortem on Thursday concluded that the victim suffered blunt force trauma to the head.  The park remains closed for forensic investigation of the crime scene. 

If you have any information, please contact the police, Crimestoppers or Galop. The investigation team is clear that they are only interested in information relevant to the case  and are not interested in any other activity in the park. The privacy of anyone coming forward with information will be respected.

You can:

Call the Incident Room direct on 0208 345 3865
Call 101, or Tweet @MetCC quoting 1277/16. 
Follow link: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS21S81-PO1.

Use Crimestoppers anonymously: 0800 555 111.

Contact the LGBT+ charity Galop for third-party confidential reporting

See also the MPS press release.

 

Murder in Tower Hamlets Park Cemetery

We are assisting the MPS in the death of a man in Tower Hamlets Park Cemetery. 

The victim was found dead in the cemetery on the morning of August 16. The post mortem on Thursday concluded that the victim suffered blunt force trauma to the head.  The police arrested  a man on Friday on suspicion of murder. The park remains closed for forensic investigation of the crime scene.

The police is urgently appealing for information and witnesses. You can:

Call the Incident Room direct on 0208 345 3865
Call 101, or Tweet @MetCC quoting 1277/16. 
Follow link: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS21S81-PO1.

Use Crimestoppers anonymously: 0800 555 111.

Contact the LGBT charity Galop for third-party confidential reporting

See also the MPS press release.

We are making sure that LGBT+ issues are addressed in the murder investigation as well as the wider police response regarding safety for our community.  

Although it is not yet clear whether this specific case was motivated by homophobia, this murder has taken place in the background of increased number of incidents in the vicinity of cruising grounds. We have been working with local police and local LGBT+ networks to improve policing and to encourage personal safety. This tragic incident highlights the urgent need for this work.

Coroner Inquest into the murders of Stephen Port postponed

The judge-led coroner inquest into the murders of Stephen Port was scheduled to start on Jan 7 at Barking Town Hall. This has been postponed at the last minute due to the escalation of the Covid emergency. We should have more information to share in the last week of January.

UPDATE (21 Jan): The inquest has been re-listed for Oct-Nov 2021 by the coroner. This was due to concern about the ability to hold an inquest for eight weeks during the Covid pandemic and also the availability of the legal representatives of all the interested parties.

Background

Stephen Port was convicted of the murders of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor between June 2014 and September 2015.  
These four young men aged between 22 and 25 years old died in Barking and Dagenham after being poisoned by Stephen Port with the chemsex drug GHB.

In November 2016, following a trial at the Old Bailey, Stephen Port was convicted of murdering all four men. He was also found guilty of sexually assaulting a number of other young men. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order. 

There has been serious concern about the late linkage of the four murders. 
Following this trial, the coroner's office appointed judge Sarah Munro QC to conduct a fresh inquest into all four deaths. 

This is separate from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation into the handling of these deaths by the Metropolitan Police (MPS)
Although a draft report has been received by the MPS, the final IOPC report has not published. (The LGBT+ Advisory Group has not seen this report.) The coroner's inquest has included the IOPC findings as evidence and so any publication will be delayed until at least the conclusion of the inquest.

The LGBT+ Advisory Group has been working with the MPS to identify learnings from this tragic case.  Among this work is a review of 58 cases of GHB-related deaths. The report with detailed recommendations was published in December 2020. (See our separate news item.)

Met Police publishes review of 58 GHB-related deaths

In the wake of the investigations of the murder of Stephen Port, the Metropolitan Police conducted a thorough review of 58 deaths from GHB between June 2011 and October 2015. The first objective was to identify if any these deaths were homicide cases. Also, it was an opportunity to learn lessons from the investigations into these deaths. Members of our LGBT+ Advisory Group have been active in setting up the terms of reference for the review and also in the final case closure review of the findings from each individual case.

The review did not find links to the Port murders and there is no evidence of homicide in these deaths. Nevertheless, investigative shortcomings were identified and there is an extensive list of recommendations for improvement. 

We are continuing to push for a thorough implementation of these recommendations and other organisational learning from the Port investigation.

PDF file: GHB Deaths Review

Death of Eric Michels

We have been assisting the police in their investigation of the death of Eric Michels in Chessington. One man has been charged with murder, supply of drugs and other offences involving multiple victims today.

One man, Eric Matuvo, has been charged with his death.He allegedly gave Mr Michels a lethal dose of GHB at his home.

Update on Stephen Port murders 

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has concluded its investigation into the MPS (Metropolitan Police) investigation of the murders of Stephen Port.  The MPS received a copy of the final report in August. The IOPC received the response from MPS in October. The IOPC is making their final decisions and will prepare a final report. Once considered, it will be published as soon as possible after all parties affected (MPS, the victims' families etc) have seen the report.

A new coroner inquest into the deaths will be opened. Due to the nature of these cases, a judge will be appointed to conduct the inquests.

Irrespective of the IOPC review and inquest, the LGBT Advisory Group has been working with the MPS on several projects to make sure that lessons are learnt.

1. The Homicide command has reviewed 58 deaths related to the use of the drug GHB, many of the deceased were gay men. This involved two years of work reviewing whether there are any possibility of foulplay in their deaths in the light of what we have learnt about the Port murders. The findings were shared with independent advisors for our input. No suspicious circumstances were found. The review team will produce a report in early 2019 with recommendations for future investigations.

2. More generally, the MPS has reviewed its policy for the investigation of sudden deaths. The learning from the Port case and the GHB deaths review has been incorporated in the evaluation of this new policy.

3. The MPS has produced guidance for reporting crimes in a chemsex scenario, either directly to the police or via third party reporting. This has been done with input from Antidote, Gay Men Health Collective, Galop and the LGBT Advisory Group. The guidance can be easily found by typing "chemsex" into the search engine on the MPS website (http://www.met.police.uk).

Another tragic death due to GHB was reported in the press last week. The LGBT Advisory Group has been assisting in this investigation. One man has been charged with murder.

It is clear that further community messaging is needed to promote reporting and safety messages.
The LGBT Advisory Group will be able to assist in this work.

Murder of Naomi Hersi

The LGBT Advisory Group has been assisting the MPS investigation of the murder of Naomi Hersi, a transgender woman from north London. This has been a case with multiple cultural sensitivities. We have worked with Galop and TellMaMa to provide advice to assist their investigation and to help formulate their community facing strategies.

The trial at the Old Bailey concluded this week. Jesse McDonald has been found guilty of murder and perverting the course of justice. He has been sentenced to life, with a minimum of 20 years. His girlfriend, Natalia Darkowska, was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice. 

More details can be found at the MPS website.

Central London Protests on May 9

We are working with the MPS regarding the far-right protest by a former leader of the English Defence League taking place in Whitehall on Sunday 9th May. Public order specialists in the MPS are engaging with the protest and counter-protest groups. There will be a large number of officers deployed to keep the peace. Westminster police will be proactively to reassure local businesses.

Initial plans to end the protest in front of the Twitter offices in Soho have been scrapped.

Community Engagement Conference: 6th January

6 - 9pm, Friday 6 January

Empress State Building, Empress Approach, Lillie Road, Earls Court, London SW6 1TR

What's this about?

Last year we undertook to convene an engagement meeting after the trial of Stephen Port had concluded. We cordially invite you to this extended event. Not only will you be able to voice your questions and concerns about the Port case, but you will also be briefed on an array of learning and development activities that are particularly relevant. This includes the review of GBL-related deaths, the review of unexpected death procedures, and the chemsex training and guidance programme.

As you can see from the programme below, more than 50% of the time is allocated to enabling community members to have their say. That's why the programme runs from 6-9pm including refreshments to sustain you! We recognise that Friday night may be an unusual day for the event, but until the replacement to New Scotland Yard opens in the Spring, the main conference suite at Empress State Building is heavily over subscribed.

Please pass this invitation on all the contacts in your own networks.

Please register online using our online form (preferred method). Alternatively, register by email to communitymeeting@lgbtag.org.uk with your name, contact email, dietary and access requirements. For further enquiries, please call 020 3524 0562.

Who is this for? LGBT+ community members and stakeholders, MPS LGBT liaison personnel and LGBT+ MPS staff involved in organisational development.

Programme

1. Introduction (LGBT AG co-chair Derek Lee) (5 mins) and how to become an advisor (5 mins)
2. Overview (LGBT AG member Jack Gilbert) Lilford, learning and trust and confidence (15 mins)
3. Table top syndicate discussion - what are the key concerns or questions raised by Port? Report back and discussion with Senior Investigating Officer DCI Tim Duffield. (40 mins)
4. Review of GBL-related deaths (DCI Tim Duffield) (15 mins)
5. Unexplained Death Investigations – outline of process and review (MPS DCI Rebecca Reeves or someone from the review team) (15 Mins)
6. Q&A (25 min)
7. Comfort break (10 mins)
8. Chemsex: review of internal process and consultation about LGBT+ engagement tools (DCI James Foley, AG Member Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett)(15 mins)
   Table top discussions and report back (40 mins)

• how to lower barriers for reporting crimes experienced by people before, during or after chemsex
• feedback on chemsex policy, what would public facing documents address?

9. Summing up and next steps (Derek Lee) (10 mins)

Stephen Port Trial

The trial of Stephen Port for the deaths of four men and other sexual
assaults is coming to an end. The jury has been deliberating last week.
We expect a verdict very soon.

The LGBT Advisory Group has been working closely with the police during
the investigation and will continue to work with them in the coming months.
As you may remember, we organised a meeting at New Scotland Yard with
the MPS about this case at the start of the investigation.

We are helping the MPS plan another community meeting after the verdict so that you will have a chance to ask questions and voice your concerns. Details will be announced soon.