Hate Crime Case Study

Hate crime is defined as ‘any criminal offence, which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic.’ This common definition was agreed in 2007 by the police, Crown Prosecution Service, Prison Service (now the National Offender Management Service) and other agencies that make up the criminal justice system. There are five centrally monitored strands of hate crime: race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and transgender identity. (Home office 2007)

“All crime is wrong, but that which is motivated by hatred of a particular characteristic of the victim is particularly corrosive. The Government and all its partner institutions strive to tackle hate crime matters, not just because of the devastating consequences it can have for victims and their families, but also because it can divide communities”. (Cross government hate crime action plan March 2012)

This case study focuses on “Racism” and its continued prevalence as the most widely recorded hate

Their research uncovered new insights into the nature and forms of these acts and impact upon victims. From a survey of 1421 victims, they discovered that those most affected were victims targeted for their race or ethnicity. (26%) were 18-24 year olds. 58% female and 41% male. Also the main ethnicities involved were Black African and Asians (BME Community). 91% suffered verbal abuse, 72% harassment, 42% property crime and 29% victims of violent crime. The report uncovered that 21% of those affected dint report it to the police; highlighting a portion of victims who rather stay silent. Another key fact, Socio-economic status emerged as a recurring theme in relation to motivating and/or contributing to experiences of targeted hostility (The Leicester hate crime project,