Hate Crime Surged in England, Wales after Terrorist Attacks

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A sustained four-month spike in hate crime after this year’s terrorist attacks peaked at a higher level than that following last year’s EU referendum, according to Britain’s Home Office figures.

Hate crime offences recorded by the police rose by a record 29% to 80,393 incidents in the 12 months to March 2017, according to Home Office figures published on Tuesday, The Guardian reported.

The Home Office said the figures showed a spike in hate crime in England and Wales following the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack on 22 March as well as in the aftermath of the referendum in June 2016.

Provisional police figures show that the number of crimes, which increased after the Westminster Bridge attack, continued to climb until June as the Manchester Arena, London Bridge and Finsbury Park attacks followed.

The number of hate crime incidents recorded by the police reached a record monthly level of 6,000 incidents in June. This peak was higher than the previous monthly peak of 5,500 in July 2016 seen in the aftermath of the EU referendum.

The 29% increase in the annual figure is the largest rise since the official hate crime figures started to be published five years ago. Home Office statisticians said the increase was thought to reflect both a genuine rise in hate crime and ongoing improvements in crime recording by the police.

Race was deemed to be a motivating factor in nearly 80% of recorded hate crime incidents – 62,685 incidents. Sexual orientation was a factor in 9,157 or 11% of incidents, with religious hate crime accounting for 5,940 or 7%.

A further 5,558 or 78% were recorded as disability hate crimes and 1,248 or 2% were deemed to be motivated by transgender hate. The Home Office said the proportions summed to more than 100% as it was possible for a hate crime offence to have more than one motivating factor.