Kate Hendickson was assaulted by a homophobic housemate but her plea to be moved was refused

Kate Hendickson, an asylum seeker from Trinidad, was placed in a house with three male asylum seekers in Rotherham late last year despite the fact that she is transgender and identifies as a woman.

In January she was verbally assaulted by one of her housemates, who comes from a Middle Eastern country where homosexuality is illegal. He screamed at her to “fuck off” because she was “gay”. While he was yelling at her he pulled out his genitals and thrust them toward her in a threatening manner.

Hendickson said she was “disgusted” and “terrified” by the incident and reported it to G4S, which has a contract with the Home Office to provide accommodation to asylum seekers in her area. At the time, G4S refused to move her to a different house, saying that it was the first time a complaint had been made against the man. However, after being approached by the Guardian, G4S offered to rehouse Hendickson.

When Hendickson initially reported the incident she said the G4S telephone operator told her not to report it to the police. John Whitwam, G4S managing director for Compass and policing services, said the firm’s staff “always support service users” in reporting hate crimes to the police.

I’m asking for their help and still no help​.​ So I’m saying to myself, they are waiting for bloodshed Kate Hendickson, transgender asylum seeker

Hendickson says she showed her housing officer a video she had taken that shows the man exposing himself and yelling homophobic abuse at her. Hendickson asked to be moved to a different house but a few days later her request was refused.

“There’s supposed to be protection. Am I getting protection? No,” she said. “It’s stated there’s to be no racism, no sexism [in asylum accommodation] and I’m facing that and I’m asking for their help and still no help. So I’m saying to myself, they are waiting for bloodshed.”

Hendickson also reported the assault during her asylum interview with the Home Office. She said the interviewer left the room to make a call about the incident but nothing was done: “No one tried to help.”

After the incident Hendickson said she was too afraid to stay at her asylum accommodation and would often sleep at a friend’s house. However, this arrangement made her nervous because asylum seekers who do not stay in their assigned accommodation can have their support cut off by the Home Office.



The Home Office did not comment on this particular case, but a spokesperson said: “The Home Office and our accommodation providers take complaints extremely seriously and have robust procedures in place to inspect, investigate and resolve any complaints raised.”

Whitwam said: “All our welfare officers receive safeguarding and diversity training and we work closely with local charities and agencies that support asylum seekers, as well as local police forces. We also work with the charity Micro Rainbow International, who help us to find additional ways to support LGBTI asylum seekers and together we are looking into a pilot which would see a dedicated property for LGBTI service users.”

Sami’s case: ‘I thought I’d rather be homeless’

Sami, a 20-year-old intersex person who identifies as female, was placed in all-male accommodation for more than a year while her asylum claim was being decided.

Sami, who is from El Salvador, says a man attempted to sexually assault her while she was living in hostel-style accommodation in Liverpool. She was then moved to Romford, Essex, where she lived in a house with eight men, some of whom repeatedly called her “gay” and a “fag” and one of whom threw a frying pan at her. She says her housemates “sexually objectified” her, with one man cornering her in the kitchen and telling her to “suck his dick”.

In early 2017 she was moved to a house in Ilford, Essex, and was forced to share a room with another asylum seeker. One night he tried to beat her up and she was so afraid that she slept on a couch in the living room.

On another occasion Sami’s housemate had a friend to stay over in their shared room. The friend began sexually harassing Sami, coming up behind her and indicating that he had an erection.

I sent emails, I tried calling the Home Office. I was just desperate Sami, intersex asylum seeker

She said she repeatedly reported what happened to Clearsprings, the private company that manages her accommodation, but that they did not help her.

“I reported the incidents since day one when I was in Romford, but they wouldn’t do anything,” said Sami. “I sent emails, I tried calling the Home Office. I was just desperate, but I couldn’t do anything to come out of the situation. I thought about leaving – I thought I’d rather be homeless.”

In March last year Nina Nasim, LGBTQI+ asylum support worker for the UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group, made complaints to Clearsprings and the Home Office about the fact Sami had to share a room, which were dismissed.

Clearsprings declined to comment.

Sami was eventually moved to a safe house for LGBTI asylum seekers run by Micro Rainbow International and has since been granted refugee status.