Hate Incidents and Crimes
A hate incident is 'Any non-crime incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on actual or perceived disability, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation and transgender', and a hate crime has the same definition, but will amount to a criminal offence.
Gwent Police recognise that hate incidents and crimes can have a devastating effect on their victims and often target some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Recently, the impact of disability hate crime has been tragically highlighted by the deaths of Fiona Pilkington and Francecca Hardwick, and findings from the EHRC report into Disability Related Harassment (Hidden in Plain Sight) underline the importance for Police Forces and partner agencies in encouraging reporting, recognising hate incidents at the earliest stage, providing effective intervention, and making sure victims receive appropriate support.
Gwent Police have worked hard over the last 2 years to improve the way we recognise and record hate crimes, as well as providing effective support to victims. We have introduced schemes like our LGB&T (Lesbian Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Liaison Officers who work with victims of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes, and Talk About It centres (in partnership with Torfaen People First) - accessible places where people with a learning disability can go to report an incident. We monitor the volume and types of hate crimes that are reported to us and review cases on a daily basis to help make sure we identify vulnerable victims at the earliest stage.
For more information on reporting a hate incident or crime, please click here http://www.gwent.police.uk/informationpoint/eleaflets/hate-crime/
Key Facts:
- In 2009/10 Gwent Police recorded 329 hate crimes and 322 in 2010/11
- In 2009/10 Gwent Police recorded 389 hate incidents, this increased to 468 in 2010/11
- In a survey conducted by Gwent Police at Mardi Gras (August 2011), 36% of LGB (lesbian, gay, bisexual) respondents did not know what is meant by the term hate crime, 30% had been a victim of homophobic hate crime and 71% did not report it to the police
- In a survey conducted by Gwent Police to explore experiences of our Late Night Economy workers (October 2011), 68% of respondents did not know what is meant by the term hate crime and 37% of people that had been victim of a hate crime have never reported these incidents to the police
- Some groups, such as young people, disabled people, lesbian, gay and bisexual people, refugees and asylum seekers, transgender people, people with mental health conditions and older people report very much higher levels of discrimination and harassment (EHRC - How Fair is Wales) but are less likely to report incidents to the police
We have published full hate incident and crime data for 2009/10 and 2010/11
Useful Links:
EHRC Hidden in Plain Sight (Report into Disability Related Harassment)
EHRC Hidden in Plain Sight Wales Summary
EHRC Not Just Another Statistic (report which explores the life experiences of Gypsy Travellers, asylum seekers and refugees, transgender people and people with a mental health condition)
EHRC How Fair is Wales? (Provides evidence on progress towards equality, including reducing the frequency of hate crimes)
EHRC/Stonewall Report into Homophobic Hate Crimes and Incidents
Getting Away with Murder - Disability Now (provides details of serious crimes that have affected disabled people)
Crown Prosecution Service Guides and Information
Homophobia and Transphobia
Racist and Religious Crime
Disability Hate Crime
Crimes Against Older People - CPS Prosecution Policy (pdf - english)
Crimes Against Older People - CPS Prosecution Policy (pdf - cymraeg)
Supporting victims and witnesses with mental health issues (pdf - english)
Supporting victims and witnesses with mental health issues (pdf - cymraeg)
Supporting victims and witnesses with mental health issues - easy read
Supporting victims and witnesses with a learning disability (pdf - english)
Supporting victims and witnesses with a learning disability (pdf - cymraeg)
Supporting victims and witnesses with a learning disability - easy read
