Hate crime
There is much confusion about what a hate crime is within society today. Often “hate crime” has been appealed to in order to silence unpopular views and suppress freedom of speech. A hate crime is a criminal act that is motivated, (or perceived to be motivated) by prejudice or hatred towards a person due to one of the protected characteristics of the Equality act. This would include criminal acts due to the victim’s race, sex, sexual orientation, disability, religion etc.
In order to be a “hate crime”, the action must a criminal offence in the first place. By definition, an act that is not a crime cannot be a hate crime. It may be discrimination and it may be motivated by prejudice or hatred but it cannot be a hate crime.
Hate crime is a serious issue in the UK and we must respond appropriately. A hate crime can include verbal abuse, intimidation, threats, harassment, assault and damage to property.
A hate incident is behaviour which isn’t a crime but which is perceived by the victim, or anybody else, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on the 5 protected characteristics. . Of course, all forms of discrimination are also serious, and discrimination and prejudice must be challenged.
There is a government campaign to raise awareness that you may have seen:
The following articles may be helpful: