Victims speak out in anti-social crime film
By Ross Bentley
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
9:48 AM
THE devastating impact that unsocial behaviour can have on its victims was made clear yesterday at the launch of a DVD created to raise awareness of the problem.
The film launch, which took place at Sudbury police station, was attended by police and community workers as well as two of the victims, who appear in the seven-minute DVD talking candidly about the way anti-social behaviour has negatively affected their lifestyle, health and mental wellbeing.
“I decided to speak out after I’d been up all night worrying and realised I needed to do something about it,” said one victim, who said she had suffered six years of abuse at the hands of a problem neighbour, which had led to her husband having a nervous breakdown.
Another victim spoke of constant harassment from local youths, who, in one incident, threw a firework through her letterbox.
The film is the brainchild of Sally Watson, Babergh District Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Network officer, and has been funded by the Babergh Community Safety Partnership and Suffolk Police Authority.
Mrs Watson said: “I interview more than 70 perpetrators of anti-social behaviour each year.
“In general, perpetrators don’t consider the effects their actions have on their victims, so the aim of the film is to allow them to hear genuine accounts from people who have suffered and the lasting effects that are caused.
“The victims have been very brave speaking out about their experiences but wanted to do something to prevent others going through the trauma they had been through.”
Mrs Watson said the film will be played to young perpetrators and their parents when they attend police stations in Babergh for anti-social behaviour interviews and reprimands, as well as local schools for Safer Neighbourhood Team education visits.
It has already been shown at Sudbury Upper School and will be shown to other upper and middle schools in the district over the coming months.
The film was made by Offshoot films, a company based in Great Cornard, which specialises in working with young filmakers.
Owner Paul Press said he has been told the film has already had an impact.
He said: “One of the young filmakers, who helped make the film, was in the room when it was shown at Sudbury Upper School the other day. He said he saw some students, who he knows have carried out anti-social acts, with tears in their eyes. Hopefully, this means the message will get through to people and they will think more about the consequences of their actions.”
