Inclusion London’s hate crime inquiry evidence published

Inclusion London’s evidence to the home affairs committee hate crime and its violent consequences inquiry is published.

Posted: 12 June 2018

Inclusion London’s evidence to the home affairs committee hate crime and its violent consequences inquiry is published.

Download our evidence here: Inclusion London evidence – Hate Crime inquiry

We highlighted that the Nazis invented the shocking phrase ‘life unworthy of life’ to refer to Disabled people and that although society has progressed in many ways, negative perceptions that our lives are worth less persist as the experiences of Disabled people illustrate:

‘I’ve had remarks about how I look in my wheelchair, and a few times the statements “you should have been aborted”, and “you don’t deserve to live”.’

Summary of issues highlighted in the evidence

Deaf and Disabled continue to be targeted for abuse and violence both face-to-face and online. Horrific deaths of Disabled people can occur, sometimes due to an inadequate response by the police.
The response, recording, investigation of disability hate incidents by police needs to improve through initiatives such as the Metropolitan Police’s ‘Disability Hate Crime Matters’ initiative.
There is lack of parity in hate crime law for Disability Hate Crime offences and LGBT hate crime offences.
The law does not adequately protect Deaf and Disabled people who are deliberately targeted due to their impairments when hostility is not involved.
Laws regarding online abuse need strengthening.
The false rhetoric about high incidence of disability benefit fraud from politicians which has been amplified many times by the press has led to deterioration in public attitudes towards disabled people who have experienced an increase in disability hate crime.
The EU referendum also has an impact on the incidence of disability hate crime.

Recommendations:

To urgently review existing hate crime legislation with a view to introducing amendments to ensure parity across all protected characteristics by creating new “aggravated” and “stirring up” offences for hatred on grounds of disability.
Change the law so that it protects Deaf and Disabled people who are deliberately targeted due to their impairments when hostility is not involved.
To strengthen UK licensing legislation by introducing penalties on social media companies who fail to:
- remove harmful online material within 24 hours of being notified
- proactively search and remove posts with harmful content
Fully implement the recommendations in the Police, Prosecution and Probation services joint inspectorate reports on Disability Hate Crime[1] as well as the recommendations in the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s reports.[2]
Police and Disabled people and user led Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPOs) co-produce strategic plans to improve the response, recording and investigation of Disability hate crime through initiatives such as Metropolitan Police’s ‘Disability Hate Crime Matters’ initiative.
For Government to implement a broad mass media campaign in consultation with Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations promoting disabled people, particularly those who receive social security payments and are unable to work, as equal citizens and rights holders.