Disability hate prosecutions increase by 213%

The year 2014 saw 574 disability hate crime cases recorded in the UK, in contrast to the 183 cases recorded in 2007/2008, the years in which the offence was introduced. The statistics were published by Crown Prosecution Service (CSP), the principal prosecuting authority for England and Wales.

Disability hate prosecutions increase by 213%
etr Information has been published in the United Kingdom about disability hate crime.

Disability hate crime happens when people treat
people with disabilities badly because of their disability.

For example, a wheelchair was set on fire.
A guide dog was also kicked.

The new information says that the number of disability hate crimes is higher
than in previous years.

Although more people have been punished for doing this,
The police say that it is something difficult to prove.
The police also say that many people don’t go to them for help.

The year 2014 saw 574 disability hate crime cases recorded in the UK, in contrast to the 183 cases recorded in 2007/2008, the years in which the offence was introduced. The statistics were published by Crown Prosecution Service (CSP), the principal prosecuting authority for England and Wales.

As the CPS put it, “crimes motivated by hate are based on offensive, senseless prejudices that have a degrading and destructive impact on the lives of others. It is important to recognise hate crime, particularly disability hate crime, can take many different forms, some of which may be less easily identified, such as exploitation or crime committed by those pretending to befriend the victim.”

Cases have involved both verbal and physical abuse: a guide dog being kicked, a wheelchair being set on fire, as well as cars being attacked because of displaying the disability blue badge parking permit. Most of the victims identified were men (41.7%) aged between 25 and 59.

Although the number of cases which resulted in convictions increased by 213%, the number of completed prosecutions fell from 640 to 574. The reasoning behind the contradicting figures could be linked to the difficulty in gathering the necessary evidence of hostility for a case.

A police statistics has revealed that forces believe that only one in 30 disability hate crimes is brought to their attention, compared to the one in four allegations of race hate crime.

According to Stephen Brooks, Ambassador at organisation Disability Rights UK, the number could be higher: “I believe the number of people actually suffering is equivalent to the number who report religious and race hate crime each year – 60,000.”

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