#JusticeForDisabledVictims in Hate Crime Law: Disabled victims demand equal fair and clear protections
Hate crime against disabled people isn’t treated the same way as crimes against other protected groups. We want to change this.
We all deserve to live in peace and feel safe in our communities. If someone is targeting us because of who we are, their punishment should reflect that, regardless of the crime committed.
We want to live in communities that celebrate diversity and inclusion, where difference is tolerated and respected, not used to target people due to prejudice, hatred or fear.
Being targeted because of who you are is deeply impactful and can have long term consequences for individuals and the wider community.
We are deeply concerned hostility in our society toward different groups of people is on the rise. We want the law to give effective protection to all victims of hate crime. For many people UK law is not protecting them as it should, so we need to have lots of different ways to get justice for Disabled victims.
Current UK Law does not treat victims of disability hate crime the same as other types of hate crime. Both the UK Law Commission and United Nations have both stated that our current hate crime laws need changing.
It is time to get equal rights for victims of Disability Hate Crime.
The UK Government needs to act, and we need your help to put the pressure on.
What needs to change?
Fair & Clear Legal Protection: Disabled people should receive fair protection under hate crime law. The definitions of hate crimes should be clear and easy to understand, so crimes can be identified and prosecuted effectively.
National Hate Crime Strategy: We need an updated hate crime plan for the UK that includes capacity building and resources for working with people with lived experience to prevent and combat hateful acts in our communities.
Intersectional Hate Crime: Responses to hate crime in law, policy and practice must include intersectionality to acknowledge the multiple and disproportionate impact on victims with more than one protected characteristic.
Take action
Write to your MP: Act Now for Justice: Make Disability Hate Crime Laws Fair and Clear!
Sign the petition: Change.org: Change the UK’s hate crime laws to better protect Disabled victims
Why is this important?
For Disabled people, being seen as vulnerable can change how crimes are treated. Disabled people are often the subject of referrals for social care rather than support to report hate crime. Many disability hate crimes are mistakenly downgraded to anti-social behaviour incidents or neighbour disputes.
What do we mean by fair protection?
When we say we want fair protection we are referring to how Disabled victims are treated in law, policy and practice when reporting hate crime; it includes having laws, policies and practices that are easily understood and applied consistently. This includes ensuring that the definition of ‘hostility’ reflects the type of hate crime we experience.
Case studies
Content warning: these case studies contain mentions of suicide, violent crime and hate crime against Disabled people.
- Fiona Pilkington Case: Fiona Pilkington killed herself and her disabled daughter after enduring 30 reported incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB) and harassment. Despite numerous reports, the severity of their situation was not adequately recognised or addressed by authorities (1).
- Michael Gilbert Case: Michael Gilbert was held against his will, tortured for his benefits, and murdered by a family he was living with. This case is a tragic example where disability and vulnerability were not given the deserved recognition and response (2).
- Lee Irving Case: Lee Irving, a man with learning disabilities, was murdered by people he considered friends. This case was not prosecuted as a hate crime and led to discussions on ‘mate crime’, where individuals befriend a person with disabilities to exploit them (3).
- Case from Hampshire Safeguarding Adults Board: This case involves over 90 recorded incidents of burglary, harassment, and general anti-social incidents at the victim’s home, as well as torment, theft, and assault against him in his local community (4).
Contact
Have questions or want to collaborate? Reach out to us via email or social media.
Louise.holden@inclusionlondon.org.uk
#JusticeForDisabledVictims
Further information
References
- Police Professional | IPCC investigation finds “alarming failings” in Pilkington case
- BBC News – Life of abuse from people Michael Gilbert called family
- Agencies ‘should have been aware of risks faced by Lee Irving before his murder’ – Disability News Service
- Disability Hate Crime | Themes | Hampshire Safeguarding Adults Board (hampshiresab.org.uk)