Hate Crime

Hate crimes are crimes that are motivated by prejudice of some kind. These are crimes where the victim is targeted because they are a member of a particular social group or have a particular characteristic, which the perpetrator has negative views or beliefs about.

In Scotland the law recognises crimes motivated by prejudice based on

• Race (including nationality, ethnicity and skin colour)
• Religion
• Sexual Orientation
• Disability, including physical disability, learning disability and mental health difficulty
• Transgender Identity

No you don’t.  Hate Crimes can be reported anonymously.  This may mean Police are restricted in the action they can take, but just reporting a perceived offense will allow Police to target resources to a particular area so you may see things like an increased police presence. If you are working with a patient or client who does not want to give name but wants you to support them to report it you can assure them of their anonymity.

Yes you can.  An online hate crime report is available at: https://www.scotland.police.uk/secureforms/hate-crime/

The form can be used by anyone how is the victim of hate crime, has witnessed a hate crime or is reporting the crime on behalf of someone else.

Yes they will.  Hate crimes are serious incidents and Police will respond appropriately.

No you don’t.  You can report it online at: https://www.scotland.police.uk/secureforms/hate-crime/ or use any one of the many 3rd Party Reporting Centres in the Glasgow area.  You can find your nearest 3rd Party reporting centre here: http://www.hatecrimescotland.org/report-it/centres/

Yes you can.  If an incident is happening there and then, you need to call 999 and report it immediately to the police, but if it happened in the past you can still call 101 – the police non-emergency number and report it or go online and complete the hate crime reporting form.

It is not your responsibility to prove that a hate crime has occurred. It is the job of the police to gather evidence from a range of sources during their investigation of an incident. This includes CCTV footage, witness statements and forensic evidence.

The Lord Advocate has told the police that an incident must be investigated as a hate crime if it is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be aggravated by prejudice.

This means that your perceptions are important. When you report a hate crime, tell the police that you believe it was motivated by prejudice and why you think that is the case. This could be about the language used at the time, things you have heard the suspects say in the past or that certain groups are being singled out in your street / building, etc.

The Scottish Government Working Group on Hate Crime gives 3 reasons for having hate crime legislation.

1. Research consistently shows that some social groups are proportionately more often victims of harassment and crime and that much of this is motivated by prejudice against those groups
2. Hate crimes can cause more psychological damage to a victim than crimes that are not motivated by hatred, because the victim’s core identity is being attacked. This personalises the crime and can cause the victim a greater amount of distress.

3. Hate crime is socially divisive. Such crimes need to be particularly condemned in order to avoid a situation in which the relevant group feels victimised as a group, with members in constant fear of attack. Prejudice against groups can lead to a number of consequences, ranging from fear of crime and inability to participate in normal social activities to paranoia and vigilantism

We have to challenge prejudice and its consequences when we see them. Hate crime is not within our responsibility to dismiss. We must listen to victims. Too often I hear that experiences are minimised, and I will not accept that. It is not “part of the job” to be abused, or stand by when others are victimised. We are a diverse and amazing organisation, with such potential to arise and use that diversity for good.

We must challenge hate and overcome our own discomfort about “making a fuss”. Standing up for the vulnerable and the marginalised is not making a fuss, it is the foundation of a better place for us all.

Hate crime continues to exist and it has no place in our organisation. Within NHSGGC we strive to treat people with care, compassion and kindness. It’s our responsibility to stand up, call it out when we see or hear it. By doing this, we halt the haters and protect and empower others. Let’s all do our part in creating a culture with diversity and equity at its core.

Hate crimes are a blot on the beauty of diversity that should be cherished. We must stand together against the forces of intolerance and bigotry, for only by showing kindness and empathy can we weaken the roots of hate. Together, we can create a future where every race is welcomed, every culture is honoured, and every heart is filled with love.

Nobody comes to work to face abuse because of who they are, what religion they follow, who they choose to love. I’m proud that we all stand together to stop hate. That’s the only way to eliminate it – give it no place to hide and grow.

We all need to stand up to Hate Crime when we see or hear it. If left unchallenged it can take hold and undermine the great community we’re all part of. Our NHSGGC family is 40,000 strong. We can use that strength to make sure hate has no place in our workplace.

It’s really important that people understand what a hate crime is so that when they see or hear it they can call it out and challenge it. We have the systems in place in NHSGGC to deal quickly with the perpetrators of hate crime so we can all step up and make a difference.

Many hate crimes go unreported due to fear, mistrust or not recognising that a crime has been committed. If we witness or experience an incident that we believe is motivated by prejudice then it is vital that we report it as a hate crime. This will ultimately help create a safer workplace and build stronger communities for us all.