CRIMINAL charges relating to disability hate crime have risen by more than 50% in Scotland in the past year.
A total of 284 charges with an aggravation of prejudice relating to disability were reported in 2017/18 – 51% more than in 2016/17. The figures were published in a Crown Office report.
It is thought the scale of the rise may be partially due to increased awareness of what a disability hate crime is and of the increased support available to report such crime.
Racial crime remains the most commonly reported hate crime, with 3249 charges reported in 2017/18, down 4% on the previous year.
Sexual orientation aggravated crime is the second most common type of hate crime, with 1112 charges reported in 2017/18, an increase of 3%. Lord Advocate James Wolffe said: “Crime motivated by hatred is not only a wrong against the individual, but is an affront to our collective values as a community, creating division and fear. It is encouraging that many victims of hate crime have the confidence to report this type of offending.
“People who live in Scotland, regardless of their personal or social circumstances, can be assured they live in a just society and that they will be protected from crime – and in particular from hate crime.”
There were 49 charges with an aggravation of prejudice relating to transgender identity. A total of 642 religiously aggravated charges were reported. Scottish Government analysis found 319 of these related to Catholicism, 174 to Protestantism and 115 to Islam.
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