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DANIEL CRAIG ADMITS HE 'PREFERRED GOING OUT TO GAY BARS' Nicole Williams's 13-year-old was set upon by a gang of older teens near St. John's shopping centre in front of
hundreds of bystanders. The thugs had allegedly been taunting the youngster and two friends, who managed to escape, before the yobs allegedly subjected the girl to a vicious attack, kicking
her in the head and stomach. RELATED ARTICLES Ms Williams, 53, said her child was "absolutely battered" during the alleged assault in which she was knocked unconscious. She added:
"My child was absolutely battered by a big gang of girls and a big gang of lads. "They were literally stamping on her abdomen and stamping on her face. When she tried to get up
from the pavement, one of them got a really good kick into the back of her neck and she went unconscious. "We think that's what saved her actually because the gang ran off because
she went all floppy." Nicole Williams's daughter was attacked in Liverpool city centre (Image: Liverpool Echo) Merseyside is among the top five police areas with the highest hate
crimes for transgender (Image: Anthony Devlin/Bloomberg via Getty Images) The teenager came to while sitting in a puddle covered in blood. A 15-year-old girl was arrested but later bailed.
Police continue to investigate. Ms Williams told the Liverpool Echo her daughter was attacked at 5.30pm on May 16, a Sunday afternoon when there were hundreds of people around. She said:
"It was quite a large gang so I can't blame any of them for not getting involved because I've always told the children I work with if you feel any sense of threat you have to
leg it. "She was really lucky to get away with no broken bones and no permanent scarring. "It was all because she was out with two friends who are trans-children, so they were
getting a bit of transphobic abuse while going around town." READ MORE ON BORIS POISED TO SWIFT MOVE TO PLAN B OVER OMICRON Mayor Joanna Anderson, Merseyside Chief Constable Serena
Kennedy and Commissioner Emily Spurrell (R) (Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/PA Images) Police recorded hate crime figures (Image: PA Graphics/PA Graphics/Press Association Images) RELATED
ARTICLES Detective Inspector Graeme Osborne described the attack as "utterly despicable". He added: "We at Merseyside Police stand against hate crime in all its forms and will
not tolerate people being targeted in this manner because of their sexual orientation or gender identity." A scheme to create safe spaces at late night venues across Liverpool was
announced on Monday (December 6) in response to a spate of hate crimes against members of the city's LGBT+ community. Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, Stop Hate
UK, Merseyside Police and city organisations teamed up for the scheme which sees venues accredited with a You're Safe Here mark which aims to reassure people they can get support if
they are victim of a crime, need help or are faced with intimidating behaviour. DON'T MISS: Prince Harry critics slammed as Dr defends Duke's mental health appeal [REPORT] Russia
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Express) The scheme is due to be rolled out to retailers' security staff in January thanks to funding from non-profit Liverpool BID Company. Ms Williams, from Bromborough, said:
"Doormen need to be trained because they're basically adjacent to where these attacks are happening. "I don't expect shop workers to go out and intervene, but it would be
good if the shops can be seen as a safe space for young people. "For children like mine, they go in and out of town for school twice a day. They need to be able to spend time after
school socialising in town. "They're not hanging around causing trouble or intimidating anybody, but they need to be able to spend time safely. "I'm really grateful the
[funding] is being extended as I think it will reassure my child." A new scheme to create safe spaces at late night venues across Liverpool was announced on Monday (Image: John
Walton/PA Wire/PA Images) On her daughter's recovery, Ms Williams said: "She's a bit anxious, but she's not going to let it change her life." Merseyside Police and
Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: "Liverpool is known for being one of the friendliest, most welcoming cities in the country and this initiative is yet another example of how
local people will go out of their way to help others. "The training has only just got underway, but the enthusiasm and engagement has already been fantastic. Our aim is to provide
training for up to 1,000 staff between now and Christmas. "By doing so, we can ensure anyone who feels worried, vulnerable or scared on a night out knows there are safe spaces and
trained staff on hand to offer effective support right across our city." RELATED ARTICLES There were 114,958 offences where hate was deemed as a motivating factor in England and Wales
during 2020/21, representing a nine percent increase on the previous year, according to a Commons report. The figures exclude Greater Manchester Police. The increase is partly down to better
recording methods and greater awareness in reporting such crime. This year's figure compares to 39,130 in 2013. Merseyside's police area has the fifth-highest offence rate per
100,000 people for transgender (seven) with North Wales topping the table on (nine) followed by West Yorkshire (nine), Norfolk (nine) and Hampshire (eight). Rates have been rounded. With
additional reporting by Patrick Edrich.