What is a hate crime?

A hate crime is any crime where somebody is targeted because of their disability.

A hate incident is when somebody is targeted because of their disability, but the act committed against them doesn’t amount to a crime. Multiple hate incidents committed by the same person against the same victim can become a hate crime.

The Crown Prosecution Service defines a disability hate crime as:

“Any offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s disability or perceived disability.”

Disability hate crimes are serious, and it’s important for the police and Crown Prosecution Service to understand that the motivations behind disability hate crimes are different to any other crime.

It’s important that victims understand their rights and that the people who support them do too.

Warning signs of disability hate crime

Hate crime can come in different forms, and it might not be clear that someone is a victim. However, if you notice something that concerns you about the person you care for, it’s important to understand what has caused it.

Some warning signs can be:

  • They are using harmful coping strategies, such as self-harm or alcohol abuse.
  • Their anxiety has increased with no immediate cause.
  • There are changes in their self-care and hygiene.

Examples of disability hate crime

Here are 5 examples and warning signs to look out for:

1. Coercion or mate crime

“A group of people pretended to be my friends and conned me out of £4,000.”

2. Theft

“I had my mobile phone stolen in GCSEs…at uni other students told me I was targeted because I was weird.”

3. Property damage

“We had equipment provided to keep our disabled child safe repeatedly damaged and were mocked for having extra needs.”

4. Physical or sexual abuse

“My son was bullied at school and online…He has been called a r****d and a boy tried to gouge his eyes out.”

5. Verbal abuse or intimidation

“I’ve been called a paedophile, druggie, weirdo, r****d…”

Examples of hate incidents

Hate incidents are investigated by the police and can take many forms, including:

  • Name-calling and verbal abuse
  • Physical attacks like shoving or punching
  • Bullying
  • Online abuse
  • Threats to you or your family

Examples of mate crime

Anyone can commit a hate crime and this can include your partner, family member or someone you think is a friend or carer. Mate crime happens when someone pretends to be your friend but then takes advantage of you.

Some examples of mate crime could include:

  • Coercion and grooming
  • Verbal abuse
  • Sexual abuse or assault

Reporting disability hate crime to the police

We strongly recommend reporting a hate crime to the police by visiting your local police station or calling 101.

Be sure to ask for reasonable adjustments, so you can give a full report on what happened, these may include:

  • Interview at your house, rather than at the police station
  • A sign language interpreter
  • A carer, mental health worker, or someone you trust to attend with you

Clive’s story

In summer 2017, Clive who is a victim of hate crime presented his experiences to a crowd of people and how he moved forward. He’d like to share it with you.