Hate crime

What is hate crime?

A hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s actual or perceived:

  • Race or ethnicity
  • Religion or belief
  • Sexual orientation
  • Disability
  • Gender or transgender identity

A hate crime can include physical abuse, verbal abuse, intimidation, threats, harassment, online abuse, and damage to property.

Whatever form the abuse takes, it is important that you tell someone. Even if you witness the abuse and it was not directed at you, you should still report the crime.

Hate incidents

A hate incident is behaviour which isn’t a crime but is perceived by the victim, or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice because of their characteristics. Some examples include:

  • disputes over parking
  • malicious noise complaints
  • throwing litter into someone's garden
  • lighting a bonfire to the annoyance of a neighbour

Report a hate crime or incident

Everyone is responsible for challenging attitudes and behaviours that foster hatred. Hate crime and hate incidents can cause great distress to its victims and the wider community and it is important that both are reported. We, alongside our partners, want to make sure that our communities have the confidence to report hate crime. We believe that everyone has the right to feel safe from hate crime, and any other crime.

If you, or someone you know have been a victim of hate crime and you want to report it, you can report hate crime online at Suffolk Police. For non-emergencies you can phone 101.

Alternatively, you can report Hate Crime online, anonymously using True Vision. or report Hate Crime using Crimestoppers.

In an emergency, you should always dial 999.

I have been affected by hate crime, and need support

If you've been affected by hate crime and need support, contact Victim Support. You do not need to have reported the crime to the police, to access this free and confidential service.

Suffolk County Council have also published information about hate crime.