Hate crimes against disabled people soar in Lancashire - but barely anyone is facing punishment
Hate crimes against disabled people have soared to shocking levels in Lancashire - while only a handful of suspects have been charged.
Across all England and Wales, just 1.1% of cases last year resulted in someone being charged, down from 1.9% the previous year. Analysis from United Response found that investigations were most commonly ended due to victims withdrawing support despite a suspect being identified. Since the charities first used freedom of information requests to gather the figures in 2018-19, disability hate crimes have increased every year, including during the pandemic when many crime types fell. The latest figures are more than double the 5,015 offences first recorded in 2018-19.
Now, Leonard Cheshire and United Response have called for a number of measures to reduce disability hate crime, including addressing ableism in the national curriculum, providing government funds to allow all police forces to recruit at least one disability liaison officer, and for the government to publish its hate crime action plan.
Particularly in recent years, it may be the case that a suspect cannot be identified because of anonymity online, and a charge cannot be brought. Additionally, in some cases, for example where a perpetrator is young, a caution may be considered more appropriate than prosecution.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Charity research finds that only 1% of disability hate crimes end with a chargeOn one occasion, while waiting for her boyfriend outside a shop, two drunk men grabbed her wheelchair and pushed her down the road while making sexual comments.
Read more »
Hate crimes recorded by police up by more than a quarterMost of the recorded crimes were violence against the person, public-order offences or criminal damage and arson.
Read more »
Two people dead after HGV and car crash in LancashireMan and woman in their 60s pronounced dead at the scene, say police
Read more »
Family who care for disabled daughter spend nights in library for warmthResearch findings, released by national charity Family Fund, shows that families raising disabled, or seriously ill, children and young people across the UK now face serious financial jeopardy
Read more »