‘We should not have to tolerate this LGBT hate crime in 2018’
Richard Ault investigates the truth behind Home Office figures revealing hate crime against transgender people is on the rise
STAFFORDSHIRE Police were asked to investigate 33 reports of hate crime against transgender people in the past year, and 210 homophobic attacks – and according to the Home Office the figures are rising.
Between April 2017 and March 2018, there were seven more attacks on transgender people than during the same period the previous year – a rise of 37 per cent – the Home Office says.
But according to Staffordshire Police figures, reports of this type of hate crime are falling.
Six years earlier, when this data was first published, just six incidents were reported.
Incidents of homophobic hate crime in the county rose by 35 per cent over the last year.
Birches Head-born Jamie Neville is transitioning from female to male.
Jamie, aged 27, who now lives in Congleton, said: “It does not surprise me in one sense, it is part of a wider trend towards increasing hate crime against LGBT and any minority. I would imagine this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“We are seeing more people reporting hate crime, but more hate crime as well, a backlash against the progress that we have made.
“I’m very fortunate that I have had no experience of this and I feel free to express myself. But there is still work to be done to change attitudes.
“We should not have to tolerate hate crime in 2018 and I would like to see more prosecutions.”
Carl Gratty, chairman of the Stokeon-trent Pride Festival, and owner of nightclub Gossip, in Hanley, said: “I don’t think it is an increase in the number of incidents, but I do think there is better support and awareness around reporting hate crime now.
“Whether they get resolved or investigated is another matter.”
LGBT charity Stonewall believes the figures show just a fraction of the true number of LGBT people who have experienced hate crime.
Laura Russell, head of policy at the charity, said: “No lesbian, gay, bi or trans person should have to experience homophobic, biphobic or transphobic abuse. These statistics are a wake up call. While some may suggest this rise is due to increased confidence in reporting, we fear these figures represent the tip of the iceberg in hate crimes against LGBT people.
“From our research into hate crime, we know underreporting is still a major issue, with four in five anti-lgbt hate crimes and incidents going unreported, with younger LGBT people particularly reluctant to go to the police.”
Ms Russell added: “Although data from the Crown Prosecution Services shows that referrals are still low, there has been an increase in sentencing, which is good to see.”
Research by Yougov shows that trans people are more than twice as likely to experience hate crime as other members of the LGBT community.
Staffordshire Police, however, say that reports of hate crime against transgender people have actually fallen in the last year. It says that while there were 33 reports in 2017-18, as Home Office data confirms, there were actually 45 the year before, not 24.
Chief Inspector Clair Langley, Staffordshire Police lead for hate crime, said: “Staffordshire Police has a dedicated Hate Crime Coordinator who monitors hate crimes and hate incidents daily, and also supports officers in their knowledge and understanding of hate crimes.
“We are working together with our partners to support victims of hate crime and are sharing data to allow us and our partners to have a good understanding of hate crime and incidents across Staffordshire.
“What may seem insignificant can still constitute a hate crime, so we urge anyone to report any incidents where they have experienced discrimination because of a characteristic such as their gender. We take every report of a hate crime seriously and will investigate it thoroughly. You should never think that your experience does not matter – it does.”