Racist or religious hate incidents
“A racist or religious hate incident is any incident, which may or may not amount to a criminal offence, that the victim or anyone else thinks was carried out because of hostility or prejudice based on race or religion.”
A racial group means a group of people who are defined by reference to their race, colour, nationality or ethnic or national origin. This also includes:
- Gypsies and Travellers
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Jews and Sikhs
When a criminal offence is classed as a racist or religious hate crime, the judge can impose a tougher sentence on the offender.