MS, Cabinet Secretary for Social
Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip: This week marks the launch
of National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2024, the annual campaign
that brings together partners to raise awareness of the impact of
hate crime, the importance of reporting incidents and the support
available.
The Welsh Government maintains our strong stance: hate has no
home in Wales, and it will not be tolerated. These principles are
at the forefront of our Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan, LGBTQ+
Action Plan, and our work to develop the Disability Rights Action
Plan, which are all driving forward our ambition to improve the
social and cultural well-being of communities in Wales and
deliver a more equal Wales.
The National Hate Crime Statistics for England and Wales
2023/2024 were published by the Home Office on 10 October 2024.
The statistics show a 2% decrease in recorded hate crimes across
Wales compared to 2022-23.
There were 5,929 recorded hate crimes across the four Welsh
Police Force Areas of which:
- 3,632 (61%) were race hate crimes
- 1,139 (19%) were sexual orientation hate crimes
- 752 (13%) were disability hate crime
- 346 (6%) were religion hate crimes
- 306 (5%) were transgender hate crimes.
It is difficult to interpret hate crime statistics as we know
many victims do not report what has happened to them. A 2%
decrease in recorded hate crime in Wales could mean more
incidents may be going unreported or it could mean fewer hate
crimes are being committed. Regardless, it is clear there is
still much to be done to ensure Wales has no place for hate. We
are concerned about a 21% increase in religious hate crime in
Wales, in comparison to the previous year with significant events
in the Middle East coinciding with this increase. We are
extremely concerned by reports of hate crime targeted towards
Jewish and Muslim communities in Wales. We encourage members of
these communities to report any hate incidents. These can
be reported by contacting the police or the Wales Hate Support
Centre run by Victim Support.
These statistics cover 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 so they
pre-date the impact of the violent disorder which affected the UK
over the summer following the devastating attack in Southport.
Although we did not see the level of disorder in Wales, the fear
caused by the racist discourse which surrounded these incidents
was palpable. Partner organisations sought to share information
quickly and ensure communities were protected. We engaged with
affected communities to provide reassurance at times of
heightened community tensions. The convictions which have
followed the unrest have demonstrated the value of reporting hate
crime and the very serious consequences of targeting people
because of who they are, whether online or in person.
We continue to fund the Wales Hate Support Centre, led by Victim
Support, to offer targeted help and advocacy to all hate crime
victims across Wales. The service supports children and young
people, adults and families in their recovery journey and
empowers them to progress beyond hate. This service provides
victim-focused support, 24/7 over the phone, via email, web
referral and live chat. The service is continually reviewed by
its Lived Experience Advocacy Forum (LEAF), ensuring that the
voices of victims are central in shaping the service to best suit
the needs of those who need support.
Victim Support has again this year created a calendar of events
to mark the week, collaborating with police, local authorities,
and the third sector including their ‘People behind the numbers'
event.
We have continued to fund activity through our Hate Hurts Wales
campaign this year, most recently in August when we delivered a
burst of media activity in areas of Wales previously impacted by
hate crime. This campaign continues to be an important and
effective way of ensuring everyone is aware of the support
available to victims of hate crime.
Online hate and misinformation remain a significant issue, as
highlighted during the recent disorder across the UK. It is vital
that social media and tech companies do everything they can to
protect their users from online harms, such as hateful and
misleading content. We remain committed to working with Ofcom in
their new capacity as regulators of online safety in the
UK.
The Welsh Government is proud to support National Hate Crime
Awareness week. We will continue to tackle the root causes
of hate and, as we stand up to hate, we will continue to support
those who have been affected by it. We encourage communities
across Wales to unite against those who seek to divide us and
help us to continue to demonstrate that Wales is a cohesive
community of communities.
