Hate Crime
The UK
Approach
Bradford
25th July 2011
Superintendent Paul
Giannasi
What is a Hate Crime?
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Criminal Justice System Definition
• ‘Hate crimes and incidents are taken to mean any crime or
incident where the perpetrator’s prejudice against an
identifiable group of people is a factor in determining who
is victimised’.
Hate?
• Hostility not hate –”In the absence of a precise legal
definition of hostility, let us consider dictionary definitions
including 'unfriendliness', 'antagonism' and 'meanness” –
Director of Public Prosecutions October 2008
Human RIghts Approach Adopted
Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Definition
• Importance of ‘Perception’
• Controversial, but still a key principle
• Importance of Non-Crime Incidents
• Even more controversial/ badly executed
Strands of ‘Monitored’ Hate Crime
• Disability, Race, Religion, Sexual Orientation and
Transgender
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Where we are - International Performance (2009)
United Kingdom
52,102
USA 7,800
(2008)
Russian Federation
460 (2008)
Italy - 142
Greece - 2
3
Where we are - National Crimes 2009
Race - 43,426
Sexual Orientation - 4,805
Religion - 2,083
United Kingdom
52,102
Disability - 1,402
Transgender - 312
Prosecutions - 14,186
Enhanced Sentencing - ?
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Why is Hate Crime so important?
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Has a greater impact on the
victim
• ‘An absent presence’
Affects wider community
Has an impact on community
cohesion
Affects confidence in the police
and others
Prevents escalation in
seriousness
It is a government priority
• particularly under-reporting
True Vision - www.report-it.org.uk
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Legislative Tools
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Incitement to hatred
• Race
• Religion
• Sexual Orientation
Racially and Religiously Motivated Offences
• Limited
• Creates Unintended Hierarchy
Enhanced Sentencing
• Section 145 and 146 Criminal Justice Act 2003
• Racially and Religiously Aggravated Offences
• Not optional
• Gee Walker
• Not reliable
True Vision - www.report-it.org.uk
How did we get here?
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Stephen Lawrence
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Johnny Delaney
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1993 London
2003 Cheshire
‘He deserved it, he's only a fucking Gyppo’
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Anthony Walker
2005 Merseyside
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Jody Dobrowski
2005 London
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Brent Martin
2007 Sunderland
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“I’m not going down for a Muppet.”
Sophie Lancaster
2007 Lancashire
True 7Vision - www.report-it.org.uk
Current Challenges
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The ‘New Right’
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Preventing Violent
Extremism
‘New’ Crimes
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New Tactics
Blurring of boundaries
Rise in Neo-Nazism
Forced Marriage
Female Genital Mutilation
Child Sexual Exploitation
People Trafficking
New Communities
The Vision
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Coalition Government commitment to increase reporting
‘Hierarchy of Hate’
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“I have heard arguments that say that by broadening our attention we dilute the effort to
eradicate racism – I can not accept that argument. The same bigotry that fuels racism fuels
other types of hate.”
Challenge to give consistently high Level of service
• “We must seek to provide the same high degree of service to all hate crime victims. This
must mean that all areas achieve the same high standard; I can assure you that I would
never allow this to mean that our efforts to combat racism should be diluted in any way.”
Need for ‘cohesive services’
• Consistency of service
• Across government
• Criminal justice agencies
• Local partnerships
• Third sector?
True Vision - www.report-it.org.uk
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Where we are – Quality of Service
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1993 Murder of Stephen Lawrence
2005 Murder of Anthony Walker
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2005 Murder of Jody Dobrowski
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“The handling of the Anthony Walker prosecution has indeed set a standard which we can
and surely must aim to achieve in all similar cases” - Baroness Scotland, Nov 2007
"This is unacceptable. We cannot accept this. No intelligent, healthy or reasonable society
could." – Dobrowski family statement 2006
But……..
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Significant under-reporting
Many ‘Gaps’ in service
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Gypsy and Traveller Communities
Asylum and Refugee communities
Transgender Victims
Disability Groups
True Vision - www.report-it.org.uk
EHRC Inquiry
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Duty on Agencies to eliminate harassment
Response to a series of high profile Murders
Some trends emerging
Poor identification of hate crime
Inquiry announced in December
ACPO Declares Critical Incident
Guidance in ACPO Manual
Possible considerations
• Agency cooperation
• Ability to identify targeted or repeated crime and
ASB
• Police and other agency ‘culture’ of de-selection
• Neighbourhood policing in ‘Sink’ estates
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The Internet
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Internet Challenges
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Web 2.0
New offending behaviour
• Anonymity
• freedom from social norms
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International Disparity
‘Lifting the stone’
International co-operation or international apathy
Geographical Jurisdiction
Industry ignorance / apathy / inability?
Opportunities as well as threats
Gaps in Academic Understanding
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Link between exposure to hate material and
physical offending
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Links between Exposure to hate material and a
sense of belonging / fear of crime
True Vision - www.report-it.org.uk
Paul Giannasi
paul.giannasi@cjs.gsi.gov.uk