A young couple in York have been living in fear after being subject to months of homophobic abuse.
They’ve been spat and shouted at, had extreme homophobic language daubed on their home, and dog waste hung on their door.
The threats have been so excessive, the pair have been forced to search for alternative housing and leave jobs due to the anxiety.
The victims, Rachel Roustoby and her partner Alex Houlden, have lived together in Huntington for just over a year.
Rachel moved in three years ago, and invited Alex to join her after being left to live alone in the flat.
“My ex partner was abusive towards me, and that’s when I met Alex, who moved in to save me from that situation, or I was going to end up homeless,” Rachel told YorkMix.
They cohabited happily, but it wasn’t long before the problems began.
They received complaints from neighbours about noise levels, which they say they immediately addressed.
Then the harassment started. Around four months ago, Rachel was out walking her dog. “A lady approached me and she asked me, ‘didn’t you have an ex boyfriend before?’ Bearing in mind I’d never seen this woman in my life.
“I said, ‘why are you asking me this?’ And she just said, ‘I don’t understand how people like you can switch from one gender to the other’.
“Then she went on an entire tangent about how in her culture it was wrong to to be gay, and how in her country it was a sin.”
Unpleasant notes, apparently written by several different people, then started to be posted through the couple’s door, and offensive messages written on their post box.
Senders have described the couple’s lifestyle as “upsetting”. One letter ended: “We won’t stop until you leave.”
The abuse has shaken the couple. Rachel said: “We’re trying to do right by everyone, trying not to make too much noise. We’re having to walk on tiptoes in our own apartment so we don’t upset anyone.”
Targeted on Christmas Day
The latest incident took place on Christmas morning.
They awoke to find the words ‘Merry Xmas f*gs’ written on their front door, and a bag of dog waste hung from their door handle.
The perpetrators would have been caught on camera, as Rachel and Alex were given a video Ring Doorbell by their housing association following the harassment.
But they had put it on charge at 1am on Christmas Day, assuming that the perpetrators would be asleep or too busy with festive plans to target the couple.
“We thought, it’s Christmas Eve, who’s going to be out doing these things?” Rachel said.
These “appalling” episodes have understandingly had a detrimental effect on both Rachel and Alex’s mental health.
Rachel explained, “I’m constantly worrying about whether or not we’re going to be safe to go outside.
“My partner now has severe anxiety about leaving the house, and she’s had to quit her job due to the fear of potentially being attacked, which is obviously really bad for not only just herself and her mental health, but for our finances as well.”
The pair are struggling to sleep, feel unsafe going out on their own, and now choose to spend most of their time in the flat.
Rachel explained to YorkMix that she’s unable to live like this any longer, and they’re currently in the process of a managed move through their housing association.
Treated as a hate crime
North Yorkshire Police have been investigating. A woman in her 50s was arrested, but later released with no further action.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson told YorkMix: “We’re actively investigating a series of harassment-type incidents which have been reported by the victims over several weeks.
“We can confirm these incidents are being treated as a hate crime and we’ve been carrying out a number of lines of enquiry to identify who is responsible.
“Incidents such as these are extremely distressing for victims and we take them very seriously. We’re working closely with the victims to ensure they’re kept updated and appropriate measures are in place for their personal safety.”
Spreading awareness
Despite being at the receiving end of the abuse, Rachel hopes her story can help spread awareness of the dangers the LGBTQ+ community can often face.
She said: “To anyone else in the area, just be careful. And if you need anything, you can reach out to myself or my partner.
“We want to make everyone know that things like this still happen, and it’s not okay, and it should be talked about.”
For anyone with information that could assist officers with this investigation, they have urged you to contact them on 101.
Crimestoppers can also been contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Please provide reference number 12240218474 when sharing information.