Public urged not to be bystanders after Chichester hate crime
Police are continuing to investigate an attack on an actor in the city.
Chichester Pride are urging the public not to stand by if they witness a hate crime - as police continue to investigate an attack on an actor in the city.
Comedian Munya Chawawa spoke out about the intense 'racist and homophobic' abuse he and his fellow cast members experienced during his recent stint there.
Chawawa was a part of the troupe performing on their run of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which made its way to Chichester Festival Theatre earlier this month.
On social media, he described the time as a "real struggle," citing multiple incidents including an attack on a fellow cast member that led to the cancellation of the October 13th show.
Chawawa detailed being watched in the streets, racial abuse hurled at students from a passing car, and a group being followed and mocked after watching the performance, and has since called for society to challenge prejudice and not to allow discrimination to go unchallenged, urging action and accountability.
It's something backed by the city's pride group - with their Chair, Tara, urging us to "keep up the momentum":
"We need to think about not being bystanders.
"We all like to think that we're kind and that we will call things out that are wrong when we see them.
"Perhaps we should be doing that more, actually speak up."
Since the incident, Sussex Police shared they've 'engaged with partners and completed visits' around hate crime.
District Commander Chief Inspector Kay Hutchings said:
“Our frontline officers are trained to respond to reports of hate crime and to provide support to victims. "Where hate crimes are reported to us, we will pursue lines of enquiry, work to safeguard victims, and work to identify offenders.
"Where suspects are identified, we will seek to take robust action.
“Hate has no place in our communities.
"We understand that reporting it can sometimes be difficult, but we continue to encourage anyone impacted by hate crimes to report them to Sussex Police.
"We are continuing to work with partner agencies in Chichester to further support victims of crime.”