If you have been harassed or attacked because of your disability, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation you have been the victim of hate crime.
Hate crime doesn’t always involve a physical attack – perhaps someone has shouted abuse at you because of the way you dress or scrawled graffiti on your property because you are Asian, or transgender.
Some hate crime incidents involve mistaken identity – maybe your abuser thought you were homosexual when you are not, or believed you were Muslim when you are Christian.
It is still hate crime even when the other person’s hate is misdirected.
Sometimes hate crime isn’t face-to-face but happens on social media.
Disability Hate Crime
Disabled people – or those with a perceived disability – are easy victims for the perpetrators of hate crime. They may be verbally abused, physically attacked or threatened.
Mate crime is when a vulnerable or disabled person is deliberately befriended for the purpose of exploiting or abusing them.
Reporting hate crime
Whether you are the victim of hate crime, a witness or a friend or relative, you should always report – or encourage the victim to report – any hate crime incident.
Contact Stop Hate UK, call the police on 101 or report it to the police online.
In an emergency always ring 999.
Victim Support provides services and support across Wales.