Vigil to be held in Clapham to mark 20th anniversary of the homophobic murder of Jody Dobrowski
– 2 min read
A vigil will be held at Clapham Common Bandstand tomorrow from 5.45pm to mark the 20th anniversary of the homophobic murder of Jody Dobrowski, a young man whose death shocked the nation and became a catalyst for change in hate crime legislation.
The event - titled “Shine On: Jody Dobrowski” - will be an opportunity to honour Dobrowski’s memory and reaffirm a collective stand against hate crime.
Dobrowski, a 24-year-old assistant bar manager, was brutally attacked on Clapham Common in the early hours of 15 October 2005 by two men who targeted him because they believed he was gay. His killers, Thomas Pickford and Scott Walker, were sentenced to life imprisonment, with the case becoming one of the first in Britain to apply Section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, allowing for tougher sentencing in crimes motivated by sexual orientation.
The vigil is part of National Hate Crime Awareness Week, and Lambeth Council will use the occasion to highlight ongoing efforts to combat hate crime in the borough.
Cllr Dr Mahamed Hashi, Lambeth Council’s Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said “One of Lambeth’s great strengths is the diversity, but sadly the borough has had a painful history with those who would seek to target this diversity with hatred.
“The homophobic murder of Jody Dobrowski, and the 1999 Brixton nail bombing which targeted our Black communities injuring 48 people shows the consequences if hate is allowed to flourish unchecked.
“So it is vital we continue efforts to raise awareness of hate crime locally, improve reporting of incidents, and ensure that survivors receive appropriate support.
"We believe people can be reluctant to report hate crime, and we want to understand why that is and what we can change to make people more confident to officially share incidents.
“The council is also fully committed to playing its role in tackling hate crime, working closely with the police to monitor monthly hate crime levels and trends, working in schools to highlight the importance of reporting hate crime and engaging with community groups and businesses to understand the challenges hate crime presents to them.”
