Overall, there were 140,561 hate crimes—defined as an offence based on a person’s race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity—recorded by the police in the 12 months to March…reports Asian Lite News
Religious hate crime in England and Wales rose by a record 25 percent in the last year, fuelled by a spike since the start of the war in Gaza, government data showed Thursday.
The highest annual figure of religious hate crimes in over a decade was due to a rise in offences “against Jewish people and to a lesser extent Muslims” since the Hamas attack of October 7 last year, the interior ministry said.
Overall, there were 140,561 hate crimes—defined as an offence based on a person’s race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity—recorded by the police in the 12 months to March.
Most—98,799, or 70 percent—were racially motivated. Both the overall and race hate crime figures are down five percent on the previous 12 months.
But religious hate crimes surged from 8,370 in 2022–23 to nearly 10,500—the highest annual figure since data collection began in 2012. Hate crimes against Jewish people more than doubled to 3,282, while there were also 3,866 hate crimes against Muslims.
“The appalling levels of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic hate crimes outlined in today’s figures are a stain on our society,” said interior minister Yvette Cooper. She promised to tackle “this toxic hatred wherever it is found”, adding: “We must not allow events unfolding in the Middle East to play out in increased hatred and tension here on our streets.
“Those who push this poison—offline or online—must face the full force of the law.” The latest data comes just days after marches and memorials took place across the country to mark the first anniversary of Hamas’s attack against Israel and Israel’s retaliation in Gaza, which the group controls.
British faith leaders, including from Jewish and Muslim communities, have called for the public to reject “prejudice and hatred in all its forms.” Police in England and Wales recorded a fall in hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation, disability, and against transgender people.
Jewish charity the Community Security Trust (CST) said the 5,583 incidents recorded across the UK between 7 October 2023 and 30 September is the highest total of any 12-month period and was three times that of the previous 12-month period, which saw 1,830 incidents recorded.
The figures also show there were 3,866 religious hate crimes targeting Muslims, up 13% from 3,432 recorded the previous year.
It means 38% of recorded religious hate crimes were targeted against Muslims, and the figures do not yet include the unrest following events in Southport in the summer.
Tell Mama – which records anti-Muslim incidents – said it had recorded 4,971 incidents of hate and discrimination across the UK in the year since the 7 October 2023 attacks, the highest total it had noted in more than a decade.
“The appalling levels of antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes outlined in today’s figures are a stain on our society, and this government will work tirelessly to tackle this toxic hatred wherever it is found,” said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. “We must not allow events unfolding in the Middle East to play out in increased hatred and tension here on our streets and those who push this poison – offline or online – must face the full force of the law,” she said.
The police numbers do show that there were decreases in recorded disability hate crimes (down 18%) and those targeting people for their sexual orientation (down 8%), and a 2% fall in transgender hate crimes. But they also show that while there was a 5% fall in race hate crimes, 98,799 were still recorded over 12 months, and it remains by far the most common motivation in such offenses.
Hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation have fallen for the second year in a row to 22,839 reported incidents. It means that these types of hate crime have fallen a total of 13% since March 2022 – which was the highest number on record. The Home Office says these decreases have been driven by falls in malicious communications offences, as well as reports of incidents causing public fear, alarm or distress.
Simon Blake, CEO of LGBT campaigning charity Stonewall, said that hate crime reported to police “is only part of the picture”. He said: “It’s vital that all those affected have access to support. The fight against hatred is shared, so we must work together to build a society where everyone is safe and respected and free from harm.”
Danielle St James, chief executive of trans charity Not A Phase, said that trans people are often reluctant to report hate crimes.
She said: “After many years in which hate crimes against trans people have soared, the news that these are down by 2% is certainly welcome.
“That being said, we know all too well that there is a reluctance to report these crimes on the part of the community, so it’s always worth taking stats such as these with a pinch of salt.”
