MendBritain

Hate Crimes are Criminal

A hate crime is any criminal offence that is motivated by hostility or prejudice based upon the victim's:

• Disability
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sexual orientation
• Transgender

Victim of Hate Crime?

Recently an article in the news said that hate due to obesity should be included in the hate crime list, but surely any crime fueled by hatred should be classed as a hate crime?

If you are a victim of a hate crime you must inform the police; each police force across the country has a special hate crime officer, if you report the crime and are fobbed off, ask to speak to the hate crime officer the response you receive should be more supportive. In an emergency always dial '999'.

The home office says:

All hate crime is important. No hate crime is too minor to report to the police. Anyone can be the victim of a hate crime. We all have a racial identity, all have a sexual orientation, all have some sort of beliefs.

Anyone of us could be targeted because of some aspect of our identity. Tackling hate crime supports each and every one of us.

What's the legal standpoint?

The Law

There are several Acts that cover hate crime offences, including:

• Public Order Act 1986, Part III Incitement to Racial Hatred
• Football Offences Act 1991 (as amended)
• Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (as amended by Anti-terrorism, Crime & Security Act 2001)
• Criminal Justice Act 2003
• Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006
• Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008