Nobody should have to experience hate or abuse, and certainly not because of their protected characteristics.
Hate crimes are criminal offences that demonstrate or are motivated by hostility based on five protected characteristics: race, religion, disability, sexual orientation of transgender identity. Any crime can be prosecuted as a hate crime if either of these factors applies.
Hate incidents refer to incidents that are motivated by hostility to these protected characteristics but do not constitute criminal offences. Something is a hate incident if the victim or anyone else reporting it thinks it was carried out because of prejudice based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation of transgender identity. This could include:
- making nuisance or abusive phone calls
- abusive remarks and calling someone names
- someone making threats or being intimidating
- sending nasty letters, e-mails or text messages
- someone inciting people to commit hate incidents against others - this can include articles in newspapers
Reporting hate crime
National figures on hate crime show that in 2022/23, Cumbria Constabulary reported 901 hate crimes; 531 relating to race, 174 to sexual orientation, 150 to disability, and 37 to religion and transgender respectively.
If you have witnessed or been the victim of a hate incident or crime, then please report it. The information will be recorded and used by the Police and partner organisations to provide help and support to the victim, deal with the person(s) responsible and prevent similar incidents happening in the future. All incidents are taken very seriously and treated in the strictest confidence. You can report a hate crime in one of the following ways:
- in an emergency call 999 to contact the police
- call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
- True Vision national police hate crime reporting scheme
- by contacting Cumbria Constabulary directly: how to report a hate crime