Sheffield councillor called a 'crafty migrant' in vile racist slur receives face-to-face apology

A Sheffield councillor who was racially abused in the city centre has received a face-to-face apology as part of the restorative justice process.
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Green Party councillor Kaltum Rivers, who represents Broomhill and Sharrow Vale, was verbally attacked unprovoked on 12 September by a man in his 70s who repeatedly told her she "shouldn't be in this country". She was also called a ‘b**** and a crafty migrant’ as she waited for her teenage son outside a shop.

Despite being left ‘shaken and scared’ following the attack, she agreed to meet her abuser in person as part of restorative justice, which brings victims and perpetrators of crime into communication with each other to try and repair the harm done and find a positive way forward.

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Coun Rivers said: "He was remorseful, he was trying to apologise so I thought it would be good if I met him.

Green Party councillor Kaltum Rivers, who represents Broomhill and Sharrow Vale.Green Party councillor Kaltum Rivers, who represents Broomhill and Sharrow Vale.
Green Party councillor Kaltum Rivers, who represents Broomhill and Sharrow Vale.

"I would much rather talk to someone and show although we walk around in different clothing there’s a lot more making us connected.”

The meeting was facilitated by South Yorkshire Police and took place on Monday, 5 October.

“It’s not something I’d thought about before but it works for some people in some areas,” Coun Rivers added.

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"Where it works I think it needs to be celebrated – and in this case it worked really well.”

Between April and September 280 restorative justice cases were facilitated in South Yorkshire, according to Remedi, the UK’s leading facilitators of restorative justice services. Every one of the victims who took part said they were satisfied with their involvement and 96 per cent said it had helped them cope and recover.

Coun Rivers said: “It finished with agreeing that we should say ‘Hello’ to each other if we see each other on the street. It went from him calling me a name and me being very upset to me saying if I see you I’m going to stop and speak. He said he would like that.

"That’s completely going to change his life. I feel more compassion towards him really because he’s an elderly person who has never done anything wrong, but you don’t know a person unless you really get to know them.”