Hate crime is defined as:
"Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a person's disability or perceived disability; race or perceived race; or religion or perceived religion; or sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation or transgender identity or perceived transgender identity."
Any crime can be prosecuted as a hate crime if the offender has either:
- Demonstrated hostility based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity
or
- Been motivated by hostility based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity
Someone can be a victim of more than one type of hate crime.
Examples of hate crime
Hate Crime can be verbal, physical or inciting others to commit hateful acts. Examples of Hate Crime include but are not limited to:
- Spitting
- Physical attacks
- Verbal abuse
- Damage to property
- Offensive letters, leaflets, emails and texts
- Bullying and threats
- Abusive gestures.
A hate incident is any incident which the victim, or anyone else, thinks is based on someone’s prejudice towards them because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, alternative sub-culture (the way they dress or their lifestyle) or because they are transgender.
Hate incidents and crimes can have a damaging effect on people and on local communities and need to be reported so that others can be protected.
Reporting hate behaviour
If you feel that you are being targeted in this way or have witnessed a hate crime then you can get support and advice via Let's End Hate Crime- We Stand Together (external link). Or you can report the incident to the police in the following ways:
Direct to the police
True vision
Report-it (external link) has:
- Information on different forms of hate crime
- National organisations contact details
- On-line reporting facitity.
Third party reporting centres
Third party reporting centres (TPRCs) enable victims to report hate crimes and incidents to specialist agencies who can deal with the report (in confidence if required) whilst providing support and assistance.