Our hate crime policies

You can read more about our policies which tackle specific types of hate crime on the national CPS website. Click on the following links to access the policies:

PDF Information

In order to open PDF documents you need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer. The majority of computers have this software but if not you can download Adobe Reader free of charge here.

Get Adobe Reader

Home » Tackling crime » Tackling hate crime

Tackling hate crime

Hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated, or perceived to be motivated, by hostility or prejudice based upon the victims:

  • race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality or national origins
  • religion or belief
  • gender or gender identity
  • sexual orientation
  • disability
  • age

Everyone has a right to live without fear and harrassment. At the CPS we take hate crime very seriously and have policies specifically tackling individual areas.

When prosecuting hate crime we will always highlight hate as an aggravating factor both when charging and when presenting the case in court. This often results in more severe sentencing on conviction.

We also make sure victims of hate crime are given the appropriate support by giving them details of support groups which can help them.

Race and religious hate crime

Racist and religious crime is particularly hurtful to victims as they are being targeted solely because of their personal identity, their actual or perceived racial or ethnic origin or their actual or perceived belief or faith. These crimes can happen randomly or be part of a campaign of continued harassment and victimisation. We will not tolerate such crime.

Homophobic and transphobic hate crime

In the past, incidents against lesbian, gay or bisexual people, or against trans people, have been rarely reported and even more rarely prosecuted. 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, ensuring crimes against our LGBT communities are tackled properly.

Disability hate crime

Feeling, or being, unsafe or unwelcome - whether through shunning, rejection, violence, harassment or negative stereotyping - has a significant 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. The CPS takes disability hate crime seriously.

Crimes against older people

Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure and to live free from the fear of crime. We know that feeling and being unsafe have significant negative impacts on older people's health and sense of wellbeing. Our policy, Prosecuting Crimes Against Older People, makes clear to older people, their families, communities and the general public that the CPS understands the serious implications of this type of crime.