What are hate incidents & crimes?

A Hate Incident is:

“Any incident, which may or may not constitute a criminal offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice or hate.”

Examples

• A wheelchair user is refused entry into a night club.
• A laundrette refuses to let a member of the gypsy travelling community use their facilities.
• Sale of memorabilia in shops such as golliwogs.
• Muslim women wearing a veil asked to remove her veil when entering a shop.

These are not criminal offences as it stands so no crime has been committed. However these were still perceived to be hate incidents.

A Hate Crime is:

“Any hate incident, which constitutes a criminal offence, perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice or hate.”

This may include:

Harassment; Graffiti Damage to property; Assault; Verbal Abuse; Bullying; Threats; Offensive Mail, Literature or Phone Calls; Nuisance and Disturbances.

Examples:

• A man leaving a bar on Canal Street gets assaulted by a group of males causing cuts and bruises. The man feels he was targeted for being gay and for being in this specific area. (Whether the man is gay or not is irrelevant).
• An Asian family living on an estate have their house burgled and the words ‘Go back to your own country’ sprayed on the walls.