clipped from: www.civilrightsmovement.co.uk

Standing Up to Hate Crimes

Standing up to hate crimes does take courage but it is the only way to achieve equality for all. Hate crimes are a very serious offence and offenders can face punishment in the criminal courts.

What is a Hate Crime?

A hate crime is defined as an offence against another person or another person’s property. The motivation behind the hate crime will be a hatred of someone on the grounds of their colour, race, ethnic origin, disability, gender, sexuality or religious beliefs. Hate crimes are a criminal offence under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

According to the Home Office the hate crime offenders are typically white males from the age of 16 to 30 living in the same neighbourhood as their victims.