Britain saw a sharp rise in the number of hate crimes recorded by police
last year with the vast bulk of offences motivated by race, official figures
showed on Tuesday.
There were 52,528 hate crimes in the 12 months to March, up 18 percent
on the year before, with the Home Office (interior ministry) suggesting that
the increase was due to more victims coming forward and police becoming better
at identifying such offences.
Hate crimes are defined as a criminal offence which the victim believes
was motivated by a personal characteristic such as race, religion, or
disability.
Separate government figures based on statistics over the last three
years from the annual Crime Survey, which collates figures from interviews with
the public, suggested there were an estimated 222,000 hate crimes on average
per year.
Prime Minister David Cameron said the rise was unacceptable and Karen
Bradley, the government minister for preventing abuse and exploitation, said
they would develop a new action plan to try to stop them.
“Crimes
motivated by hatred or hostility towards someone because of their race,
religion, sexual orientation, gender-identity or because they are disabled are
absolutely abhorrent and this government will do everything to eradicate
them,” she said.
All strands of hate crime saw noticeable rises, but the greatest
increase was in the number of religiously motivated offences, up 43 percent on
the previous year.
Cameron, who was due to host the inaugural meeting of a new Community
Engagement Forum to discuss countering extremism, said police forces in England
and Wales would be asked to record anti-Muslim hate crime as a specific
category.
This would put such crimes on the same footing as antisemitic incidents.
“I
want British Muslims to know we will back them to stand against those who
spread hate and to counter the narrative which says Muslims do not feel
British,” he said in a statement. “I want police to take more action
against those who persecute others simply because of their religion.”
The move comes with the government due to publish a counter-extremism
strategy soon which will detail proposals for tackling radical ideologies which
ministers argue put people on the path to violence, but which others say risk
curbing free speech.
Hate crime, England and Wales, 2014 to 2015
Hate crime, England and Wales, 2014 to 2015: data tables
Hate crime, England and Wales, 2014 to 2015: appendix
tables
Statistical news release: Hate crime, England and Wales,
2014 to 2015
Pre-release access to: Hate crime, England and
Wales, 2014 to 2015
