How often are hate crimes committed?

Official figures state that 8,256 disability hate crimes were recorded by police in 2018/19. However, The National Crime Survey estimates a true figure of 70,000.

Currently, there is no way to officially see how many reported cases of disability hate crime were committed against people with learning disabilities and/or autism.

But our work with the National Office of Statistics found that people with learning disabilities and/or autism are four times more likely to be victims than people with other disabilities.

And our 2021 survey found:

• 82% of people had experienced people calling them names or shouting at them in person. 34% had experienced this online
• 44% had been threatened, hurt or coerced into doing things
• 34% said they were victims of sexual abuse
• 16% had been threatened or coerced into doing things on the internet

72% of respondents thought they were seen as an easy victim and 44% said the offence took place within the last year.

67% of victims knew the person that abused them.