Gay hate crime reports on the rise in the UK, say police

The number of reported gay hate crimes in the UK has increased in 2014.

According to figures released to Press Association under the Freedom of Information Act, more than 300 gay hate crimes have been reported in the London area alone between January and October, which is already more than the whole of last year.

Gay rights charity Stonewall said that it is encouraging that more people are coming forward to report homophobic attacks, but added that gay hate crime is still “a real issue in the UK”.

Spokesman Richard Lane said: “We believe that more and more victims and witnesses of homophobic attacks are building up the courage to speak to others and report these instances to the police.

“Hate crime is a key area of our work at Stonewall and our campaigns aim to not just encourage individuals to report attacks, but also for the police to try and make people feel more at ease with approaching them.

“We know, in the past, many have been hesitant to report crimes to the police for fear of the consequences.”

Chief Constable Jane Sawyers, who leads policing for LGBT issues, said that homophobic crimes “affect people’s right to “feel safe, secure and confident about themselves”.

She added: “Police forces across the UK are committed to reducing hate crime and improving services to victims. We know that homophobic hate crime disproportionately affects young people, who are amongst the most likely to suffer, but also to perpetrate hate crime.

“We are also aware that traditionally there has been under-reporting from the LGBT community. The police service has been working hard to ensure the community feels confident to come forward and report hate incidents. All such reports will be handled with professionalism and understanding.”

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