What is a hate incident and what is a hate crime?
Nobody should have to live with the fear and anxiety that hate crime can cause.
Hate incidents and hate crime are acts of violence or hostility directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are. This can be committed against a person or property. All police forces record hate incidents based on these five personal characteristics:
- Disability
- race or ethnicity
- religion or belief
- sexual orientation
- transgender identity
A victim does not have to be a member of the group at which the hostility is targeted. In fact, anyone could be a victim of a hate incident or hate crime.
When hate incidents become criminal offences they are known as hate crimes. A criminal offence is something which breaks the law of the land. Any criminal offence can be a hate crime if it was carried out because of hostility or prejudice based on the characteristics named above.