Hate crime figures are the tip of an iceberg
15 February 2012
Figures released this week show an increase in the number of
convictions for disability hate crime, but successful convictions
throw light on only a tiny part of a much bigger problem. First,
the good news - it seems we're getting a bit better at identifying
and pursuing hate crime. The Crown Prosecution Service has revealed
an increase in the number of disability hate crime convictions for
the year 2010/11. At 579, the figure represents a 311% increase
from the 141 made in 2007/8. In addition, 79.8% of disability hate
crime cases resulted in a conviction. This is the first rise in the
proportion of convictions to cases in two years. But all this is
still just the tip of the iceberg. Only 690 cases were referred by
the police to the CPS for a charging decision in 2010/11, yet about
9 in 10 people with a learning disability suffer verbal harassment
or violence due to their disability, according to Mencap. Given the
number of people with learning disabilities in the UK - about 1
million - the true scale of disability hate crime must far exceed
the official figures. Indeed, with public attitudes towards people with disabilities
deteriorating, hate crime may continue to rise. Sadly, many
disability hate crimes still go unreported to the police. The
reasons for this happening are well known. For instance, people are
afraid that they will not be believed, that they will suffer
retaliation, that they won't be supported, or that their
impairment will be used against them. Some people with learning
disabilities even just accept it as 'part of everyday life' and/or
don't recognise it as hate crime. This needs to be challenged. The
police are taking disability hate crime increasingly seriously -
something they have been criticised for not doing in the past.
Indeed, the Metropolitan Police Service announced this week that it
has signed up to Mencap's 'Stand by me' anti-disability hate crime
campaign. The Met was also careful to point out that signing up to
'Stand by me' is only one part of its mission to improve the way it
tackles disability hate crime. The high proportion of cases that
result in a conviction - once they've made it to court - shows
that, if people with a learning disability speak out, they will be
listened to and, crucially - they will also get the justice they
deserve. Now, the emphasis needs to be on ensuring that people with
learning disabilities know what hate crime is - that it is not part
of everyday life; that they know how to report it and to whom; and
that it is the responsibility of providers, support services and
professionals to work with them on this issue. That way, the number
of successful convictions will continue to increase, and more
people with learning disabilities will be free from the scourge of
hate crime.
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