Hate Crime

ARE YOU A VICTIM OF HATE OR DISCRIMINATION?

If you believe someone is being hostile towards you or someone else because of who you or they are this could be a hate crime or hate incident.

You can report hate crime to the police, you can get help and support and you can contact Hertfordshire Equality Council.

WHAT IS HATE CRIME?

Hate crimes and non - crime hate incidents describe behaviour, perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by or demonstrating hostility towards a persons’ identity. People or property can be the target.

Hostility can be taken to mean unfriendliness, prejudice, resentment, dislike, spite, ill-will, contempt and antagonism.

Hate crimes and non-crime hate incidents motivated by hostility towards disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender identity are nationally recorded by police.

However people may not identify with these groups but may be victim to this type of hostility. Anyone could be a victim of hate crime because a victim of this type of hostile behaviour may or may not be a member of the group at which the hostility is targeted.

AGREED DEFINITIONS OF HATE CRIME AND NON - CRIME HATE INCIDENTS

A Hate Crime is ‘any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, transgender identity or perceived disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, transgender identity’.

A Hate Incident is ‘any non-crime incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, transgender identity’.

A hate incident is not legally actionable and is not a crime but hate incidents can feel like crimes to those who suffer them and can escalate to crimes or to increased tension in a community.

REPORT HATE CRIME AND INCIDENTS

It is important to report Hate Crime and non-crime Hate Incidents

The police take hate crime and incidents very seriously and will record any crime as a hate crime where the victim or any other person perceives it was motivated by hostility or prejudice. If you, your family or friends believe it was a hate crime, the police will treat it as such.

If you report it you may be able to prevent the same from happening to someone else. You will also help the police understand hate crime and incidents in your local area so they can better respond.

USEFUL LINKS

Report it to the police: Contact details Herts Police and True Vision - Police and True vision

Report it to Beacon: Contact details - Beacon support

Link to Herts Against hate webpages - Herts Against Hate

Link to Crown Prosecution Services - CPS