Warwickshire Pride's board of trustees has spoken of its disappointment at the closure of a police investigation into alleged offences at last year's event.

Multiple arrests were made at the event in Leamington Spa last year with the board saying the incident involved "transphobia, aggression, and comments and gestures of a sexual nature towards members of our team".

Despite being asked to leave, the individuals are said to have refused and continued to "intimidate" a team member, prompting calls to the police, who then made arrests.

In a recent update, Warwickshire Pride shared its disappointment with the conclusion of the police investigation, which determined that no action would be taken against the offenders due to a reported lack of evidence, despite the group saying there were "witnesses to what happened".

The statement read: "It is our word against theirs. Of course, evidence matters and we have to accept the outcome of the investigation.

"We are strongly and actively against transphobia, sexual harassment, and discrimination and hate of any kind. We take a zero tolerance approach to it all."

As a result of this outcome, Warwickshire Pride is taking several actions including "taking a zero tolerance approach to all forms of hate and discrimination."

"Anyone attending our events who behaves in a hateful or discriminatory way will be asked to leave and not permitted to attend in future.

advertisement

"Body cams will be worn by key personnel at the Warwickshire Pride festival for the purposes of personal safety and capturing evidence if required."

Following this, Warwickshire Pride has announced multiple new actions to reinforce its commitment to inclusivity and safety. 

A zero-tolerance approach will be applied to all forms of hate and discrimination: anyone attending their events who engages in hateful or discriminatory behaviour will be asked to leave and will not be allowed to return in the future. 

Warwickshire Pride further encouraged individuals who experience hate or discrimination due to their LGBTQ+ identity to report these incidents. 

Individuals can do so by calling 999 in emergencies, 101 in non-emergencies, visiting a police station, or reporting online. 

Additionally, individuals can reach out to Warwickshire Pride directly at [email protected] for support or for guidance to additional resources.

Warwickshire Pride emphasised that the safety of attendees, as well as its team, remains their top priority. 

"We will continue to do everything within our power to ensure people have a safe, happy time at Warwickshire Pride events," the statement concluded.

advertisement