Hate Crime

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• Hate Crime

Hate crime can be defined as a criminal offence which is committed against person or property and is motivated by hatred of another due to their:

• Race, colour, ethnicity or nationality
• Religion or beliefs
• Gender or gender identity
• Sexual orientation
• Disability
• Age

Hate crime can take many forms including:

• Physical attacks - such as assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti, neighbour disputes and arson
• The threat of attack - including offensive letters, abusive or obscene telephone calls, groups hanging around with the purpose of intimidating and malicious complaints
• Verbal abuse - such as offensive leaflets and posters, abusive gestures, dumping of rubbish outside homes or through letterboxes and bullying at school or in the workplace

Our definition of Hate Crime:  Any incident, which consitutes a criminal offence, which is perceieved by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice or hate.

Despite recent surveys showing that more than eight in ten Kingston residents agree that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together, with 73% feeling that their local area is a place where residents respect ethnic differences between people, the Safer Kingston Partnership is committed to the following Hate Crime objectives:

• Reducing social intolerance and enhancing confidence of victims to report Hate Crime
• Reducing risk to victims by improving co-ordinated responses and provision of holistic and accessible support services
• Holding perpetrators accountable for their actions and bringing them to justice
• Providing support and education to children and young people

How to Report a Hate Crime

• If you or another is in danger call 999 and speak to your local police force.
• Call KREC (Kingston Race & Equalities Council) on 020 8547 2332 or contact them at Neville House, 55 Eden Street, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 1BW.
• Call the Safer Kingston Partnership on 020 8547 5039
  

Additional sources of support:

Victim Support

If you are a vicitim of Hate Crime (or any other type of crime) you can also obtain support from Victim Supportline:

Call 0845 30 30 900    

Typetalk users should dial 18001 0845 30 30 900.   

Normal opening hours for the Supportline are:

9am to 9pm    Mondays to Fridays

9am to 7pm    Weekends

9am to  5pm    Bank holidays

The Victim Support email address is supportline@victimsupport.org.uk.  

Citizen's Advice Bureau

The Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) service is independent and provides free, confidential and impartial advice to everybody regardless of race, gender, disability, sexuality, religion or beliefs or age.  One of the key aims of CAB is to ensure that individuals do not suffer through lack of knowledge of their rights and responsibilities or of the services available to them, or through an inability to express their needs effectively.   For their 24 hour advice line, phone 0844 826 9701 or visit their website via the link below.

KREC

(Kingston Race & Equalities Council) on 0208 547 2332 or contact them at Neville House, 55 Eden Street, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1BW.