Transphobic hate crimes surge by 37 per cent in just one year, while homophobic hate crimes are up by a quarter
Thousands of transgender people and their allies take to the streets for London’s first ever Trans+ Pride march on 14 September, 2019. (WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Reports of hate crimes against transgender people have risen by 37 percent in just one year, according to alarming new figures.
The official Home Office data, published on Tuesday, confirms that hate crimes against transgender people in England and Wales are growing at a faster rate than for any other protected group.
There were 2,333 reports of hate crimes against transgender people in England and Wales from April 2018 to March 2019, up from 1,703 in 2017/2018.
Hate crimes against transgender people are surging, according to Home Office data
Anti-transgender hate crime reports have quadrupled since 2014/15, when just 607 such crimes were recorded.
Transgender hate crimes have risen faster than for any other protected group.
Although some rise in hate crime reports is to be expected due to improved reporting practices, the sharp rise in anti-trans hate hate crime reports contrasts with data for other protected characteristics.
There was a 25 percent rise in hate crimes based on sexual orientation, a 14 percent rise in disability-based hate crimes, an 11 percent rise in hate crimes based on race, and a three percent rise in hate crimes based on religion.
27 percent of anti-trans hate crime reports were for violent offences, while 24 percent were for stalking and harassment, and 39 percent for other public order offences.
Hate crimes against trans people rose faster than for any other protected group
The rise in anti-LGBT+ hate crimes comes amid an increased prevalence of anti-transgender media coverage, as well as growing protests against LGBT-inclusive education across the UK.
The Home Office said: “In 2018/19, the police recorded 14,491 sexual orientation hate crimes (up 25 percent compared with the previous year), 8,256 disability hate crimes (up 14 percent) and 2,333 transgender identity hate crimes (up 37 percent).
“These large percentage increases across all three strands are partly due to the smaller number of these crimes.
“However, they may also suggest that increases are due to the improvements made by the police in their identification and recording of these hate crime offences and more people coming forward to report these crimes rather than a genuine increase. However, genuine increases cannot be ruled out.
“As in previous years, sexual orientation hate crime was the second most commonly recorded hate crime in the vast majority of forces (38 of 44).
“Transgender identity hate crime was the least commonly recorded hate crime in 42 of 44 forces.”
‘Sharp increase’ in reporting of hate crimes.
Superintendent Waheed Khan of London’s Metropolitan Police Service said: “London is such a diverse and tolerant city, but too many still feel marginalised, or worse intimidated to go about their daily lives due to their race, faith, sexual orientation, gender or disability.
“Hate crime incidents may involve a physical attack, damage to property, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse, insults or online abuse using social media and it is a scourge on our communities.”
Khan added: “The Met has seen an increase in the reporting of all types of hate crime, and this rise is in part due to the growing willingness of victims to report crime and improved awareness by police.
“We have also seen a sharp increase in hate crimes perpetrated online, and the Met works with online platforms to identify offensive content and the people who post it, and progress investigations.
“We would urge hate crime victims who have not spoken to police to come forward and tell us about incidents so they can be fully investigated.”
