障碍者へのヘイト・クライム(UK)

Sue Marsh “The culture of hatred for the disabled comes from the top” http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/sep/16/disabled-hate-crime-government-benefits


ヘイト・クライムというと、レイシズム、移民や少数民族への差別に結び付けられことが多いが、英国では最近障碍者や病人に対するヘイト・クライムが増加しているという;


There is little doubt that disability hate crime is on the rise. A recent Equality and Human Rights Commission report*1 concluded that "people with disabilities in the UK face harassment, insult and attack almost as a matter of routine, while a collective denial' among police, government and other public bodies means little is done to challenge the situation".

This is strong language. It seems so shocking that we might decide that it cannot possibly be true. Turn then to the Mencap study*2 that found police were consistently failing the victims of disability hate crime, or to the Scope report*3 that concluded that "widespread casual and institutional disablism in Britain creates the conditions where disability hate crime can flourish without being recognised or challenged".

According to a ComRes*4, some 47% of disabled people surveyed said that attitudes towards them have worsened over the past year while 66% claimed that they had experienced "aggression, hostility or name-calling". Taken to its extreme, this bullying leads to the tragic deaths of people such as Fiona Pilkington and Francecca Hardwick*5, Gemma Hayter*6 and Keith Philpott*7.

増加の背景のひとつとして挙げられているのは、公的機関やメディアによる福祉給付金受給者に対するスティグマ化の進行である。また、緊縮財政による疾病給付等の切り詰め。8月の倫敦暴動*8の際に、安易な福祉制度によってアンダークラスを甘やかしたから連中の道徳的頽廃が起こってあのような暴動・略奪が起こったという言説が現われ、日本でも一部の共感を得たりしたのだが、このような〈良識〉を装った言説は障碍者への新たなかたちでのスティグマ化の進行、ヘイト・クライムの増加と表裏一体のものだということは見逃してはならないだろう。なお、この傾向は英国に限ったものではないという;

This is not just a problem in the UK, or even a recent problem caused by any one political party, but one faced by disabled people in France, Italy, Australia and elsewhere, as governments attempt to reduce the number of people claiming benefits by taking a "tough line". Is it any surprise that our neighbours feel less supportive if they are asked on a monthly basis to believe that most disabled people are simply "lazy", "fraudulent", "feckless" and "workshy"?*9
これについては、新自由主義ポピュリズムとの結託を巡る森政稔氏の議論(eg. 『変貌する民主主義』、pp.10-11、pp.36-37)*10も参照されたい。
変貌する民主主義 (ちくま新書)

変貌する民主主義 (ちくま新書)