The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Practice Advice on Hate Crime provides the following definitions:
Hate Motivation
- “Hate Crimes and incidents are taken to mean any crime or incident where the perpetrators hostility or prejudice against an identifiable group is a factor in determining who is victimised”.
- This is a broad definition and inclusive definition. A victim does not have to be a member of the group. In fact anyone could be a victim of a hate crime.
Hate Incidents
- “Any non-crime incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a persons race or perceived race”.
- This includes any racial group or ethnic background including countries within the United Kingdom and ‘Gypsy & Traveller’ groups.
- “Any non-crime incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a persons religion or perceived religion”.
- This includes any religious group including those who have no faith.
- “Any non-crime incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a persons sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation”.
- This includes any person’s sexual orientation including people who are ‘heterosexual’.
- “Any non-crime incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a persons disability or perceived disability”.
- This includes any disability including physical disability, learning disability and mental health.
- “Any non-crime incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender”.
- This includes people who are transsexual, transgender, transvestite and those who hold a Gender Recognition Certificate under the Gender Recognition Act 2004.
Hate Crimes (referred to all those recorded by the police in accordance with the Home Office Crime Recording Standards)
- “A hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s race or perceived race”.
- This includes any racial group or ethnic background including countries within the United Kingdom and ‘Gypsy & Traveller’ groups.
- “A hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s religion or perceived religion”.
- This includes any religious group including those who have no faith.
- “A hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation”.
- This includes any person’s sexual orientation including people who are ‘heterosexual’.
- “A hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s disability or perceived disability”.
- This includes any disability including physical disability, learning disability and mental health.
- “A hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender”.
- This includes people who are transsexual, transgender, transvestite and those who hold a Gender Recognition Certificate under the Gender Recognition Act 2004.
Hate Crime Prosecution
- “A hate crime prosecution is any hate crime which has been charged in the aggravated form or where the prosecutor has assessed that there is sufficient evidence of the hostility element to be put before the court when the offender is sentenced”.
Why we identify and investigate hate crimes and hate incidents …
Hate incidents / crimes must be identified correctly to:
- Allow an opportunity for victims to be provided with support at an early stage
- Provide an early indication of community tensions
- Provide a means to gather intelligence.
South Wales Police is totally committed to fair and appropriate treatment for every individual in the community, however there are some occasions when appropriate treatment can and does mean different responses depending on cultural, individual or local needs.
Responding to hate incidents / crimes falls into this category. The perception of the victim is the reality that determines the impact of a hate incident / crime on quality of life. This is of paramount importance. Grading of the gravity purely by the physical extent of what has happened can be meaningless.