This week is Hate Crime Awareness Week.
Hate Crime is any criminal offence which is perceived to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender (real or perceived) or any individual characteristic that makes someone appear different.
Hate crimes are by their nature very personal. Most people know how it feels to occasionally be called an upsetting name, but sadly some people experience this (and much worse) regularly because of who they are. Hate incidents (acts that fall short of a criminal offence, but are perceived to be motivated by prejudice) can escalate into serious crimes such as harassment and physical violence.
The rise in hate crime recorded in the Warwickshire and West Mercia policing areas is mirrored nationally. In recent years our local police force, along with other forces across the country, has done a huge amount of work to improve confidence in the police amongst communities affected by hate crime and to increase reporting. It is likely that the increased figures partially reflect the fact that more victims are having the confidence to come forward. That being said, the numbers are of great concern given that behind each offence is someone who has been victimised because of who they are.
Hate crimes can leave victims feeling isolated and vulnerable, angry and frustrated, anxious and afraid. Victims don’t report hate crime for a range of reasons, such as fearing repercussions, thinking they can handle it alone, or simply that they will ‘get used to it’. Unfortunately, hate crime is rarely a one-off incident and victims are more likely to suffer repeated abuse from the same perpetrators.
No victim of hate crime should have to suffer in silence. The most effective way to tackle hate crime is to report it to the police. If you have been a victim of hate crime or if you know someone who has, or if you witness a hate crime, you should report it. You can call 999 in an emergency or 101 for a non-emergency or speak with the police direct at a police station or in the street. All reports should be thoroughly investigated and support offered to victims. The courts have extra powers to punish people who commit hate crimes.
One of the aims of Hate Crime Awareness Week is to raise awareness of the damage that hate crime does to wider society and that it is everyone’s responsibility to take action to tackle it. The message from Warwickshire police is clear: Don’t look away. Don’t ignore it. Don’t stay silent. Hate crime is everyone’s problem.