A hate crime is when an individual commits a crime against another person because of a perceived difference, eg disability, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. In recent years there has been some concern that this type of crime has significantly increased.

In 2018, the Inspectorate of Police commissioned a report into how victims of hate crime believed that they had been treated by the police. 26 recent victims of hate crime, who were of mixed ages and gender were interviewed, from all over the UK. Some of those interviewed were victims of hate crime because of more than one characteristic, eg their ethnicity and their sexual orientation.

Source: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, Understanding the Difference: the initial police response to hate crime (2018)