Hate Crime

Hate crimes are based on prejudice and discrimination. They are motivated by hostility toward a person's race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or age.

Hate crimes have no place in an open and democratic society and we are determined to play our part in tackling hate crime by bringing offenders to justice.

We want all victims of hate crime to feel able to come forward and report incidents, secure in the knowledge that they will be treated fairly and efficiently by the Criminal Justice System.

The CPS has policies to tackle specific types of hate crimes:

Domestic violence

Domestic violence occurs throughout society, amongst people of all ethnicities, sexualities, ages, disabilities, religions or beliefs. We recognise that both men and women can be victims, although the majority of victims are women.

Taking action against domestic violence is included as part of the CPS Violence against Women Strategy. We recognise that violence against women is a fundamental issue of human rights.

We aim to prosecute every case fairly and effectively and to make decisions in an objective manner. At all times we will operate within a framework that seeks to support the victim and keep them informed at all times.

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, 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 and will taken action when such crimes are reported.

Homophobic and transphobic hate crime

In the past, incidents against lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans people have often gone unreported. Research studies suggest that victims of, or witnesses to, such incidents have historically had little confidence in the criminal justice system. The CPS is committed to addressing this problem and ensuring crimes against our lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities are tackled properly.

Disability hate crime

Feeling unsafe or unwelcome - whether from negative stereotyping, rejection or 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. The CPS takes disability hate crime seriously and we will take action to prosecute such crimes.

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 well-being. 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.