What is Hate Crime?

A 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 based on a person’s race or perceived race; religion or perceived religion; sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation; disability or perceived disability and any crime motivated by hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender.’

A hate crime is perpetrated on the basis of ‘who’ the victim is or ‘what’ the victim appears to be, this is what motivates the offender.

For an incident to be classed as a hate crime the victim or any other person including a witness or a police officer must perceive that the crime is fuelled by prejudice. These characterises include race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or because they are transgender.

Between March 2022 and March 2023, there were 145,214 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales (excluding Devon and Cornwall).

Types of Hate crime

There are 3 main types of hate crime these include physical assault, verbal abuse and incitement to hatred.

Any form of physical assault is an offence and should be reported. Depending on the level of violence, this will determine the charge given to the offender. The three categories a physical assault can come under is common assault, actual bodily harm or grievous bodily harm.

A common experience for those in minority groups is verbal abuse. This can include threats or name-calling. This can be a scary unpleasant experience for those who are victim of this behaviour. Often it is believed that there is not much that can be done about this but there are laws to protect people from verbal abuse. This should still be reported to the police even if you are unable to name the offender.

Incitement to hatred is when a person is threatening and are intentionally stirring up hatred. This can be done in various forms including words, pictures, videos, music and includes information posted online. Examples of this can be messages sent requesting violence against a specific person or group, any media posted online that show pictures, videos or describing violent behaviour towards anyone due to any of the stated characteristics. 

Info Shop

At INFO we are dedicated to creating a safe place for everyone, we aim to create a welcoming environment that is accessible to anyone without fear of judgement and prejudice. Our youth workers are here to provide advice, guidance or just listen.  

We believe that it is everyone’s responsibility to stand up to hate and make our community a safe place for everyone.  We hope you will all join us in calling out discrimination in the community, educate where you can those who display ignorance, support those facing prejudice and show what it is to be a good ally with kindness and respect.

Our Services

Resources: We have a wide range of resources and our youth workers who can support you to get the information you need.

Second Voice Advocacy: Our advocacy service is available to young people who want support in having their voices heard and their rights upheld.

Time to talk: Every Thursday we have a drop in for young people between 3:00pm and 5:00pm, this is a space where you can come and talk to a worker about anything that may be worrying you.

How to report a hate crime

In an emergency when you believe yourself or someone else is at risk of harm or in immediate danger you should always call 999.

You can report a hate crime, including online hate crime and planned marches or events online. – How to report hate crime | North Wales Police

Alternatively you can:

• call 101
• visit a police station

Alternative organisations:

NWREN – NWREN are an independent charity you can speak to in confidence it will be your choice if you wish to take things further and you can remain anonymous.

Free to call 01492 622233, you can also email info@nwren.org.uk

Victim Support – You can talk to Victim Support as an alternative to the Police. They provide independent, confidential help, advice and support to victims and witnesses of hate crimes in Wales.

Free to call 03003031982 or their website Wales Hate Crime – The National Hate Crime Report and Support Centre provides free and confidential support and reporting options to victims of Hate Crime across Wales. (victimsupport.org.uk)