Hate crime

You should report hate crime if you've been a victim yourself, or witnessed a hate crime incident.

A 'hate incident' is defined as such if the victim, or anyone else, thinks the motivation for a person being targeted is because of their:

• disability
• race
• religion
• sexual orientation
• gender identity

Examples of hate incidents are:

• verbal abuse
• harassment, bullying or intimidation
• physical attacks
• hoax calls, abusive telephone or text messages, hate mail
• online abuse

When 'hate incidents' become criminal offences, they are known as 'hate crimes'. Any criminal offence can be a hate crime if it was carried out because of hostility or prejudice based on a person's disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Examples of hate crimes are:

• assaults
• criminal damage
• harassment
• murder
• sexual assault
• theft
• hate mail (Malicious Communications Act 1988)
• causing harassment, alarm or distress (Public Order Act 1988)

Report hate crime by telephone

Report hate crime by calling one of the following organisations:

• the police on 999 in an emergency, or 101 in a non-emergency
• Supporting Victims on telephone: 01609 643100 (Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 6.00pm)

Report hate crime online

Contact the following organisations online, who also provide support and advice:

• Safer York Partnership
• Supporting Victims

Also see

• Becoming an anti-racist city
• Equality contacts
• Equality Act 2010