Five years on from the death of Sophie Lancaster – a girl murdered for being a “Goth”, a great deal of us in the gothic and alternative community still feel saddened by what happened. Sophie was a bright, creative girl who was loved a great deal by many, many people. The attack was completely unprovoked, and was carried out simply because she, and her boyfriend Robert Maltby, were dressed in a particular manner.
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(Segment taken from WIKIPEDIA)
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While returning home, Lancaster and Maltby were subjected to a “vicious mob attack” from “a large group of people” between 01:10 hours and 01:20 hours on Saturday, 11 August 2007, at the skate park area of Stubbylee Park, Bacup. The couple were walking home and came across a group of teenagers at the entrance to the park.The group followed them, but there was no trouble until some of them suddenly assaulted Robert Maltby without provocation. When he was knocked unconscious, the gang attacked Sophie Lancaster, who was trying to protect him by cradling him in her arms. A 15-year-old witness told police: “They were running over and just kicking her in the head and jumping up and down on her head.” One distraught witness used a mobile phone to call for emergency services saying: “We need… we need an ambulance at Bacup Park, this mosher has just been banged because he’s a mosher.”Witnesses revealed that afterwards, “The killers celebrated their attack on the goths — or “moshers” – by telling friends afterwards that they had “done summat [something] good,” and claiming: “There’s two moshers nearly dead up Bacup park — you wanna see them — they’re a right mess.”The injured couple were assisted by some of the teenagers who called emergency services and then stayed with them and tried to tend their wounds. At the trial they were commended by the judge.
Police said soon afterwards that it was “a sustained attack during the course of which the pair received serious head injuries and their faces were so swollen we could not ascertain which one was female and which one was male.” Both were hospitalised as a result of the attack, initially at Rochdale Infirmary.Maltby’s injuries left him in a coma with bleeding on the brain. He gradually recovered, but was left with lasting brain damage. Lancaster, in a deep coma, was moved to Fairfield Hospital in Bury, then to the Neurology unit at Hope Hospital in Salford. It became clear to hospital staff that she would never regain consciousness, and on 24 August 2007 her family agreed to switch off life support.
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NEWS COVERAGE
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SOPHIE’S FUNERAL
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Since these harrowing events, multiple charities and tributes have been put in place by members of her family, friends, and people amongst the gothic community worldwide. Her mother, Sylvia Lancaster, set up the S.O.P.H.I.E Foundation (Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere), in honour of her daughter. The Foundation was put in place to send out awareness of bullying towards people in alternative subcultures or “lifestyle and dress”. They have done presentations in schools, charity events, television appeals and brought up awareness through the use of social media. Many musicians have dedicated albums, songs, and performances to her memory. At Bloodstock Open Air (B.O.A) Festival, there is a stage dedicated to her, upon which some of her favorite bands have played.
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The homepage of the S.O.P.H.I.E Foundation can be found here: http://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com/
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An animated video was commissioned by Illamasqua (http://www.illamasqua.com/) in order to spread awareness about the incident, and raise the £500,000 required for the funding of teaching in various schools. Directed by Award-Winning French director Fursy Teyssier (http://www.lesdiscrets.com/), produced by creative agency Propaganda (http://www.propaganda.co.uk/), with contributions by British Band Portishead (http://www.portishead.co.uk/), this animated film “Dark Angel” displays the raw emotion and heartbreak which occurred on that night in 2007.
A “Making Of / Behind the Scenes” video was also documented to accompany the animation. It includes interviews with the Director, Sophie’s mother Sylvia, multiple artists and team who worked together to created the full sequence. As always I am absolutely fascinated by this insight into its creation. It also shows the premiere of the animated film, infront of an audience of Sophie’s peers and friends.
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“DARK ANGEL”
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“BEHIND THE SCENES”
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AbbieSTABBY 