Hate Crime
Hate crime creates fear in individuals, groups and communities and targets people because of their identity. It can have devastating effects on victims and we will take all steps to prosecute hate crime rigorously.
Anyone can become a victim of hate crime. It covers any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by hatred of someone because of their religion, race, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or age.
The CPS has specific prosecution policies covering each of these areas. We are determined to take a robust view of these cases and prosecutors will work closely with the police to make sure the strongest evidence is put before the courts to convict offenders.
Racist and religiously aggravated crime
When an offender commits a crime that is motivated by hostility or hatred towards a person's race or religious beliefs we will fully consider all the facts and may prosecute the alleged crime as either racially or religiously aggravated.
Homophobic or transphobic crime
In the past, incidents against lesbian, gay or bisexual people, or against trans people, have been rarely reported and even more rarely prosecuted. Left unreported, people who carry out these crimes are likely to commit similar offences again and could be harming others. Research studies suggest that victims of, or witnesses to, such incidents have very little confidence in the criminal justice system. The CPS is committed to addressing this problem.
Disability hate crime
Hate crimes against disabled people are mostly driven by the belief that they are inferior and research by a number of charities shows that hate crime incidents are widespread. Rejection, violence, hostility or harassment has a profoundly negative impact on disabled people's sense of security and wellbeing. It also impacts significantly on their ability to participate both socially and economically in their communities. We consider it vitally important that we listen and support victims to encourage them to report hate crime.
Visit the Crown Prosecution Service main website to view the Disability hate crime policy PDF
Crimes against older people
The older population in the United Kingdom is growing and negative attitudes towards older people exist. We will do all that we can to support victims of abuse. Our policy summarises some of the wide and complex range of crimes which older people may experience.
It also covers how the CPS will support older people as victims and witnesses of crime; what special measures - such as screens in court or video links to their home are available; what happens if the victim withdraws support or no longer wishes to give evidence and continuing a case where that has happened.
Visit the Crown Prosecution Service main website to view the Crimes against Older People Policy PDF
