Being Attacked While Homeless is a Hate Crime, Says Boarman on LIVE
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Rhode Island resident Eileen Boarman joined GoLocalProv News Editor Kate Nagle on GoLocal LIVE, to tell her story of being the victim of a knife assault in January — and to raise awareness to the issues facing homeless individuals.
Boarman, who was attacked while sleeping in a pedestrian walkway in downtown Providence in January — and the alleged perpetrator arrested in February — spoke to her experience leading up to the crime, when she was stabbed in her wrist and arm as she slept.
“I’d like to expand a bit on the reasoning why not only myself — but I think others — feel it does qualify as a hate crime. This just wasn’t an isolated incident. This was the culmination of a ton of harassment that I had experienced for years on the street and I’ve seen others experience — and I’d been speaking out against it for some time,” said Boarman. “And rather than it alleviating or people recognizing some issues here with harassment of people it got worse, it just seemed to increase until I was attacked.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBoarman spoke to working with detectives -- and the case going to trial.
“I mean this is just unacceptable…not that any of the other [treatment] was acceptable but when it comes to this it really has to be looked at,” said Boarman. “There are a lot of people living on the streets if you don’t feel safe in shelters — they’re overcrowded and there’s a lot of violence. So ultimately it’s a choice. You don’t really have another choice unless you want to be driven insane in overcrowded noisy shelters.”
“And affordable housing — you constantly hear about the large amount of grants and money going into affordable housing. You just wonder…it’s tied to so many programs that you’re forced to participate in even though you don’t need it and you don’t really want it,” said Boarman.
“I hope this isn’t the end of the conversation.”
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