The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has reported an increase in hate crimes towards disabled people in their 2015/16 Hate Crime Report.
The report shows that the number of reported incidents alleging disability hate crime rose 9.5% in the year, as well as the number of prosecutions made for disability hate crime rising by 40.6% from 2014/15.
Disability hate crime 2015/16
- The volume of cases referred to the CPS by the police for a charging decision increased from 849 in 2014/15 to 930 in 2015/16, an increase of 9.5%
- The number of convictions increased over the two years from 503 in 2014/15 to 707 last year, an increase of 40.6%
- The conviction rate remained broadly consistent over the two years at 75.1%
- The proportion of successful outcomes arising from guilty pleas was 66.1% in 2014/15 and fell slightly to 63.4% in 2015/16
Statistics reproduced from: CPS
Level Playing Field General Manager, Ruth Hopkins said of the report’s findings, “We need to be clear that disability abuse and hate crime is completely unacceptable and deeply offensive to disabled people, it is also illegal and should be treated with the same severity as any form of discriminatory abuse and hate.” “Level Playing Field urges any person who is the victim or a witness to disability abuse and hate crime at a sporting event to report it to the relevant authorities and Level Playing Field is always willing to help and support individuals in this process.”
For more information about reporting disability discrimination and hate abuse or indeed any other forms of discrimination, please contact info@levelplayingfield.org.uk or call us on 0208 621 2403.
Other organisations you can contact to report discriminatory abuse and hate crime:
Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE)
From:
CPS – More hate crimes prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service than ever before
CPS – Full Hate Crime Report 2015/16
19.07.16