What to do if you are a victim of hate crime
What is hate crime?
If someone has picked on you because of who you are, it may be a hate crime. It could be because you are a disabled person, or because you are Lesbian, Gay, Asian, Black, Transgender, or Muslim or Christian.
Anyone could be a victim of a hate crime. Hate crime hurt us because it’s about who we are. sometimes it hurts our family and community. it makes us feel unsafe. But there are things you can do if you are a victim of hate crime. You don’t to suffer alone.
If hate crime is happening to you right now and you are not safe, please ring or text the Police on 999. If you are a deaf or disabled person who lives in Waltham Forest, Newham, Southwark, Enfield, Havering, or Barking and Dagenham and want to talk to someone about hate crime, and you, please contact Stay Safe East.
If you live outside of our area, here are some organisations you can contact.
Below we have explained a bit more about hate crime.
More about Hate Crime
There are different sorts of hate crime.
Disability Hate Crime is when someone picks on you because you are Deaf or disabled.
Racist hate crime is when someone picks on you because of your race or nationality – for example because you are Black, or Asian, or White, or because you are not British (or they think you are not British).
Homophobic Hate Crime is when someone picks on you because you are Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual.
Transphobic Hate Crime is when someone picks on you because you are Transgender
Faith Hate Crime is when someone picks on you because you are a Muslim, or a Hindu, or a Pagan. if you are a Muslim who is a victim of hate crime it’s called Islamophobia. If you are Jewish (whether you are religious or not), it’s called Anti-Semitic Hate Crime.
Hate crime can happen anywhere – at home, in the streets, at work or school or college. Hate can happen on social media or in chat rooms, or dating sites. if you are a target of on-line hate crime, you can report it to the social media platform, like Facebook or Twitter.
Hate crime can involve
- Calling you disablist or racist names
- Spitting
- Graffiti
- Sending you abusive texts
- Making malicious accusations – accusing you of being a paedophile
- Threatening to ‘out’ you about your sexuality, disability or gender identity
- Blocking access to your home – for example deliberately parking in your Blue Badge space, or putting bins in front of your house so you can’t get in or out
- Threats to you or partner, your family (or your personal assistants if you are a disabled person who needs support)
- Damaging disability equipment (your long cane, your car, your wheelchair ) or your home
- Pushing or shoving you
- Slapping, hitting, tipping someone out of their wheelchair, or other physical assault
Sometimes disabled people are targeted by people who say they are our friends but they then start taking our money, or using our home to deal drugs. some people call this ‘mate crime’. We think it’s hate crime, because disabled people who say ‘no’ to their abusers then get picked on because of their disability.
Hate crime is a serious crime. It can lead to murder. Don’t let hate crime go on- report it!
