DB Openhand Magazine_June2017

Stamping Out Hate Crime
Hate crime is an extremely serious offence and
unfortunately, is currently on the rise. In 2016, there
were 62,518 recorded incidents of hate crime in the
UK alone, more than 3,000 of which were classed as
disability hate crimes.
A woman looking
out of the window
The definition of a hate crime
is a physical or verbal attack
against groups or individuals,
who may be targeted based
upon their race, sexuality,
gender identity, religion,
beliefs or disability. Attacks
do not always have to be
physical; they can also
amount to threats of violence,
harassment, verbal abuse,
property damage, offensive
graffiti or cyber-bullying
(often known as “trolling”,
particularly on social media).
The Effects of
Hate Crime
These vicious acts are
damaging to both individuals
and communities, leaving
the victims feeling
persecuted for something
that they have no control
over. Hate crime can lead to
tensions within communities
and can also have drastic
effects on individuals, many
of whom will feel they can no
longer go outside for fear of
being attacked.
Those targeted by hate
crime may often feel too
frightened to speak out
and report the crimes, for
fear of retaliation against
them or their families. It is
therefore important that we
communicate with our loved
ones and act on their behalf
if we feel they may be the
victim of a hate crime.
Someone working
at a laptop
Reporting an Attack
If you or somebody you
know has been a victim
of hate crime, you should
report it immediately as it
may become a police issue.
It is still important to make
the police aware even if no
laws have been broken – if
they have knowledge of the
perpetrators then they can
monitor the situation.
If you have been personally
attacked, remember that it is
not your fault and you have
not done anything wrong. In
an emergency, call the police
on 999, or if you cannot make
voice calls, ensure you are
registered with Emergency SMS
www.emergencysms.org.uk.
In non-emergencies, you can
speak to the police on 101, or
contact your local station.
Hate crimes can be
reported anonymously and
investigated by police at
www.report-it.org.uk, or if
you do not want to fill in forms
you can call Crimestoppers
on 0800 555 111 or visit
www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
Alternatively, there are
numerous charities who can
help including Stop Hate UK
(call 0800 138 1625 for a
24-hour helpline) and Victim
Support UK (08081 689 111).
You can also contact your local
Citizens Advice Bureau
by visiting www.
cItizensadvice.org.uk.
Remember – by reporting the
incidents, we can all work
together to put a stop to hate
crimes against disabled people
once and for all.
This information has been kindly
supplied by Emma Elmett, Hate
Crime Officer at Cross Keys
Homes in Peterborough.
For more information
or for help reporting
a hate crime, contact
the Deafblind UK
Information and
Advice Line.
30 Open Hand
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