A hate incident is any incident which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility, hate or prejudice. If a hate incident breaks the law, it becomes a criminal offence and therefore a hate crime.
HATE INCIDENTS AND HATE CRIME
A hate incident is any incident perceived by the victim or anyone else to be driven by hostility, hate, or prejudice. When a hate incident breaks the law, it becomes a hate crime.
Any crime can be prosecuted as a hate crime if the offender has either:
- demonstrated hostility based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity
Or
- been motivated by hostility based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity
Someone can be a victim of more than one type of hate crime. (cps.gov.uk)
Nationally recognised strands of hate crime:
- Disability
- Race
- Religion
- Sexual orientation
- Transgender identity
Additional strands recognised in Nottinghamshire:
- Misogyny
- Alternative subculture
Hate can take many forms, such as homophobia, Islamophobia, or racism, but it's always wrong, and action can be taken against offenders. All hate crime is serious: everyone deserves to live without fear of prejudice, discrimination, and hate.
Some hate crimes are obvious, like openly racist attacks, while others are more subtle like name-calling, teasing, or bullying. These can target whole communities or individuals and may involve attacks on people or property. The key point is that if it's happening because of who you are, it needs to be reported.
We are here to support you, whether you choose to report the incident or not.
Please look at the information on support which will explain the different help available to you.