Hate crime
Any 'criminal offence' which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a persons: race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.
Have you experienced hate crime?
if you’ve experienced a crime, and you think it was motivated by prejudice:
- because of your race
- because of your religion
- because of your sexuality
- because you're disabled
- because you're transgender
For example, it’s a hate crime if someone assaulted you and used homophobic language or threw a brick through your window and wrote racist graffiti on your house.
It's still a hate crime if someone made a mistake about your identity. For example if they attacked you because they thought you were Muslim, but you aren’t.
If you experience more than one hate incident by the same person or group of people, it might count as harassment. Harassment can be a crime. For example, it might be harassment if someone on your street keeps shouting abuse at you.
If you're not sure if what happened was a hate crime, you can talk to Stop Hate UK.
Hate crime can happen anywhere - at home, school, work or on the street. It can be frightening for the victim and witnesses.
Getting help and reporting hate crime
Derbyshire's free confidential 24 hour third party reporting is independent of the police and provided by Stop Hate UK. You can also:
Derbyshire Police can also take information and you can make a statement:
Crimestoppers will take your call anonymously telephone: 0800 555 111.
Derbyshire victims services - Step up beat hate can take reports and offer advocacy and resolution through restorative justice: