Hate Crime
Hate crimes and hate incidents occur when someone is subjected to hostility or prejudice by other person because of their race, religion, disability, sexuality and/or gender identity.
Any type of crime can be a hate crime. It can include threatening behaviour, physical assault, verbal abuse, vandalism, obscene calls, graffiti, harassment, online abuse, arson and intimidation. It is the motivation behind the actions which make it a hate crime.
It is still a hate crime if someone made a mistake about your identity. For example, if someone attacked you because they thought you were Muslim, but you aren’t.
Hate crimes cause considerable distress, not only for victims but also for their families, friends and wider communities. It is important to report hate crimes, even if you don’t think they are very serious or they don’t require an immediate emergency response. You can report crimes that have happened to you or if you have seen a crime or incident happen to someone else.