A YOUTH conference event has given pupils the chance to experience a mock trial into hate crime.

The council-funded event in Eastleigh saw secondary and sixth form students interact face-to-face again and covered themes of hate crime and mental health.

Hosted by Barton Peveril College, Eastleigh, the event was put on by the Council’s Health and Wellbeing team and the coordinator, Stacey Miller Consultancy, for 70 young people and their teachers.

The mock hate crime trial was led by real barristers and the Crown Prosecution Service, where the pupils had to find the defendant innocent or guilty.

The Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Councillor Tonia Craig, said: “The Council is proud to have funded and supported the twelfth consecutive youth conference.

"We are committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of young people is supported in the Borough. A forum for young people to explore themes important to them is vital for their development and understanding of the world.

"Thank you to all the organisations who helped make this a successful event.”