UK hate crime cases rise by a third

There were 80,393 offences in 2016-17, compared with 62,518 in 2015-16, the largest increase since the Home Office began recording figures in 2011-12.

The biggest rise was in disability and transgender hate crimes, but this was due to better crime recording and more people coming forward, the report said.

It also noted a spike in hate crime around the time of the EU referendum.

There were also rises after the Westminster Bridge, Manchester Arena and London Bridge attacks this year.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said there was "absolutely no place for hate crime in our society" and said the rise after 2017's terror attacks were "undoubtedly concerning".

The Home Office report said: "The increase over the last year is thought to reflect both a genuine rise in hate crime around the time of the EU referendum and following the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack, as well as ongoing improvements in crime reporting by police."

Disability or transgender hate crimes increased by 53% and 45% respectively, but the majority of hate crimes were racially motivated.

Regarding disability, transgender and sexual orientation hate crimes, the report said the rise "suggests that the increases are due to the police improving their identification and recording of hate crime offences and more people coming forward to report these crimes rather than a genuine increase".

In 2016-17:

62,685 (78%) were race hate crimes
9,157 (11%) were sexual orientation hate crimes
5,949 (7%) were religious hate crimes
5,558 (7%) were disability hate crimes
1,248 (2%) were transgender hate crimes

Some crimes were recorded as having more than one motivating factor.

Sexual orientation hate crime was the second most commonly recorded hate crime in the 37 out of 44 forces that provided statistics.

Ms Rudd said: "I am heartened that that more victims are more confident to come forward and report incidents of hate crime, and that police identification and recording of all crime is improving.



/257