A new nationwide hate crime campaign aimed at
increasing awareness and understanding of what constitutes a hate
crime has been launched by the government.
The campaign has been developed in consultation with the Crown
Prosecution Service (CPS), the Independent Advisory Group on Hate
Crime and other organisations, to help the public understand hate
crime, particularly offences which often people do not recognise
as criminal, such as some forms of online and verbal abuse.
This includes educating perpetrators who have been motivated by
hostility towards the victim’s race, religion, sexual
orientation, transgender identity or disability that they have
committed a hate crime.
The strapline of the campaign sends a clear message about what
hate crime is:
‘If you target anyone with verbal, online or physical abuse
because of their religion, race, sexual orientation, disability
or transgender identity – you may be committing a hate crime.
It’s not just offensive. It’s an offence.’
Minister for Countering Extremism Baroness Williams said:
Committing a hate crime goes against all the shared values we
hold and can have a traumatic impact on victims.
The campaign gives clear examples of hate crime and sends a
message that not only is this behaviour unacceptable, it is a
criminal offence.
This is just one part of the ongoing work of the government to
tackle hate crime to ensure this sickening behaviour is stamped
out.
The campaign goes live today (Wednesday 31 October) with adverts
running on video-on-demand sites, social media and posters to be
displayed across the country.
Each video or poster features a different offender, represented
by an e-fit, and a hate crime taking place.
These include:
- a lesbian couple being verbally abused at a bar
- racist graffiti being sprayed on the shop of a foreign couple
- an offender posting hate-filled messages about a transgender
woman online
- a Muslim woman being aggressively shouted at to remove her
headscarf and a Jewish man being abused in the street
- a disabled man being verbally abused on a bus
The campaign seeks to reassure communities at risk of hate crime
that the government takes this seriously and to publicly address
the attitudes and beliefs that foster hate crime and re-establish
boundaries around not targeting people on the basis of their
identify.
The campaign website also signposts organisations where victims
and witnesses can get the support they need.
Chris Long, Chief Crown Prosecutor and CPS hate crime champion,
said:
Hate crime has a corrosive effect on society and being on the
receiving end of an incident can be particularly distressing
because of its personal nature.
The CPS works closely with the police to prosecute thousands of
cases every year. More than two-thirds of offenders are now
receiving tougher, uplifted sentences from the courts – the
highest levels ever recorded.
We take hate crime very seriously and are committed to properly
supporting victims. People should be in no doubt – if you
believe you have been a victim of hate crime you should report
it to the police.
Along with the CPS, the Home Office consulted with the
Independent Advisory Group on Hate Crime, which includes groups
such as Stop Hate UK, Tell MAMA, Community Security Trust (CST),
Stonewall and Galop.
Mike Ainsworth, chairman of the Independent Advisory Group on
Hate Crime and Director of London Services for Stop Hate UK,
said:
We know 2 key facts about hate crimes. The impact on victims is
devastating and life changing, and perpetrators often escalate
in the seriousness of their offending.
This campaign is important in emphasising the corrosive impact
these crimes have on communities.
The launch comes after statistics showed 94,098 hate crimes were
recorded by police in England and Wales in the year to March
2018.
The campaign forms part of the government’s wider programme of
work to tackle hate crime. Earlier this month the government
updated its hate crime action
plan, which included:
- asking the Law Commission to review hate crime legislation
- further funding for community groups to tackle hate crime
- extending the Places of Worship Security Scheme for a fourth
year
