Workers at trans young people’s charity Mermaids have told of the horrifying personal impact of a media-influenced wave of abuse last month, which included a death threat and publication of people’s personal details.
Mermaids had to find therapeutic support for workers after receiving 130 abusive messages, 40 of which were escalated to the police as hate crimes. Some staff were also pictured online by trolls and had their addresses made available.
One helpline service officer told openDemocracy: “The fear of who would be personally attacked next is a fear for us all. It has made us question our own personal safety outside of Mermaids. For some, collecting their child from school became a worry.”
