Hate crimes in the U.K. reach record high – with offences against transgender people DOUBLED

The number of hate crimes recorded by police against transgender people in the U.K. have rocketed, up 56% from the previous year.

The report indicates the rise in police-recorded hate crimes against trans folk may be a result of ‘discussions on social media’.

 

Hate crimes are defined as those motivated by prejudice against someone on the grounds of race or ethnicity, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity.

Numerous organisations outline that true figures in these cases are likely significantly higher, as a large number of offences go unreported. 

 

Hate crimes in England and Wales have jumped by the largest amount since 2017, according to the latest Home Office figures.

 

Sexual orientation hate crimes increased by 41% to 26,152 and transgender hate crimes have more than doubled, up 56% to 4,355. While the numbers for sexual orientation are significantly higher, a much larger percentage of the population openly identify as LGB than trans.

Both of these figures are also the largest percentage annual increase in these offences since the year ending March 2012.

 


The Home Office report, shared October 6, says: “Transgender identity hate crimes rose by 56 per cent (from 2,799 to 4,355) over the same period, the largest percentage annual increase in these offences since the series began.

“Transgender issues have been heavily discussed on social media over the last year, which may have led to an increase in related hate crimes.”

 

The Home Office said it was unclear to whether these numbers reflect a “genuine rise”, or if they are simply as result of “continued recording improvements and more victims having the confidence to report”.

 

However, Leni Morris, from anti-abuse LGBT+ charity Galop, called the rise in transphobic hate crimes “staggering” and shut down ideas the figures were a result of increased trust.

“Some will try to say this increase is just showing that the LGBT+ community’s trust in the police is improving – that this is not an increase in incidents but in people coming forward,” she said.

“We strongly do not believe that to be the case. Demand for our hate-crime support services, including the National LGBT+ Hate Crime Helpline, has grown by 19% in just the last six months.”

 


50% of recorded hate crimes are public order offences, which include words or behaviour causing harassment, alarm or distress.

41% per cent were violence against the claimant and others, including criminal damage and arson.

Less than one in 10 hate crimes result in prosecution. 

 

 

 

In August, a report analysing the surge in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric online – particularly anti-trans or “gender-critical” sentiment – indicated that Meta and Twitter are “enabling digital hate against LGBTQ+ communities“.

 

 

 

 


 

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