It's our duty to report hate crime

“Report hate crime so that no one suffers in silence”, says the Leader of Richmond Council, during National Hate Crime Awareness Week (12-19 October).

The Council, local police and key partners are committed to driving out hate crime and encouraging people to speak out and report it if they have fallen victim to crime targeted at their race, religion, sexuality, gender or disability.

The crime does not have to include physical violence and it can be online. Someone using offensive language towards you or harassing you because of who you are is also a crime.

From July 2018 to July 2019, there were 323 incidents of reported hate crime in the borough. 233 of these incidents related to racist and religious hate crime.

Richmond Council takes hate crime very seriously and employs a Vulnerabilities Manager to provide advice, guidance and support. The Council also works closely with Stop Hate UK, who provide independent, confidential and accessible reporting and support for victims and witnesses of hate crime. They have a 24-hour telephone number for people to report hate crime. If you are a victim of hate crime or have witnessed a hate crime, call 0800 138 1625 or go to www.stophateuk.org/report-hate-crime.

Stop Hate UK have also launched a new confidential 24-hour help line for young people under 18. If you are a young person who has experienced or witnessed The Crime, you can call: 0808 801 0576, or text 07717 989 025 or visit www.callhateout.org.

Cllr Roberts, Leader of the Council, said:

“Hate crime is unacceptable and has no place in society. We all have a right to live without fear, hostility and intimidation from others because of who we are. Hate crime can have devastating consequences on individuals and communities. Our borough indeed the whole country, should be a safe environment for people of all ages, genders, faiths, and nationalities. That’s why it is vital that we raise awareness of hate crime by reporting it.

“I fully understand the fear of getting involved, however if we turn a blind eye to hate crime then we risk it becoming normalised, we risk it becoming commonplace. We have worked too hard as a society, over many decades, to risk sliding back to a point where racism, homophobia and religious intolerance are considered mainstream.

“It is not just victims of hate crime who can report it; communities need to play their part too. By reporting it to the police, we can stop hate crime. We can create a safer borough without discrimination and show to the world that hatred and intolerance have no place here.”

Chief Superintendent Sally Benatar from the Police, said:

“There is no place for hate in the borough of Richmond, which is why we are pleased to support National Hate Crime Awareness Week in partnership with Richmond Council.

“It is important to raise awareness of hate crime so that people can spot it and report it. It’s not OK to be targeted because of who you are – or who people think you are. We want everyone to feel confident in reporting hate crime incidents to the police, so that we can investigate and provide you, or the person you are concerned about, with the right level of support.”

Find out how to report hate crime.

Notes for editors

If you are a journalist and would like further information about this press release, contact Fenna Maynard on 020 8487 5182.

Reference: P330/19