Our statement on the recent
right-wing extremism in Sunderland

Our teams at WWIN Specialist Domestic Abuse services in Sunderland have been supporting women, children and families in the aftermath of the horrific racist and Islamophobic violence in the city last weekend. Racist and Islamophobic incidents have continued, targeting victims and survivors who have already been traumatised by male violence.  We expect reports of domestic abuse to increase as those feeling emboldened and empowered by their own, or by watching others’, behaviour at the weekend will not stop at the front door. 

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Our thoughts are still with the three young girls who were murdered in Southport last Monday. Elsie Dot, Bebe and Alice should be here today. Our thoughts are with them, their families and all those who knew them. 

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That this racist violence has followed those horrific murders, is of further distress to our team and the survivors we support. We are appalled that their murders, and more widely the abuse and sexual assault of women and girls, has been used to justify racist and Islamophobic violence. It is incomprehensible that any of these actions could be deemed as a result of caring about the safety of women and children as some have claimed.   

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We are also heartened to see the amazing response of the majority of people of Sunderland, community groups and volunteers, all standing together against such extremism.  Sunderland has long been a port City that has welcomed and travelled to all parts of the world and this racist and Islamophobic violence is not representative of the people who support us and all we do at WWIN. We will continue to ensure WWIN is a safe place for survivors in Sunderland, where all survivors are welcome. We have more in common than that which divides us. We will get through this stronger, together.

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