Online hate crime.

From today the Crown Prosecution Service are looking to make online hate crime the same as that committed elsewhere.



Hate crimes committed on social media will be treated as seriously as similar street-based offences, according to new guidelines issued by the Crown Prosecution Service as they launch a crackdown on hate speech online.

Recognising the “corrosive effect” of hate crime on British society, Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, announced the CPS will now revise prosecutions of such crimes “with the same robust and proactive approach used with offline offending”.

The changes could lead to a dramatic increase in those being prosecuted for posting prejudice attacks on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Sorry there is quite a bit to digest.

Hate Crime What is it?

A Hate Incident is any incident which the victim, or anyone else, thinks is based on someones prejudice towards them because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or because they are transgender.

If you, or anyone you know, has been called names, been bullied or had anything happen to them that you think may be because of one of these factors, then you should report this as a hate incident. Even if you dont want the incident to be investigated, it is important that the police know about it, so that they can build up a picture of how many incidents are happening and where. This information can help police investigating other hate incidents.

Not all hate incidents will amount to criminal offences, but those that do become hate crimes. The Association of Chief Police Officers and the CPS have agreed a common definition of hate crime: "Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's race or perceived race; religion or perceived religion; sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation; disability or perceived disability and any crime motivated by hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender."
Types of Hate Crime

Race and religious hate crime

Racist and religious crime is particularly hurtful to victims as they are being targeted solely because of their personal identity, their actual or perceived racial or ethnic origin, belief or faith. These crimes can happen randomly or be part of a campaign of continued harassment and victimisation. We will not tolerate such crime.

You can read the CPS Policy on Prosecuting Racist & Religious Hate crimes in a number of
languages here.

Homophobic and transphobic hate crime

In the past, incidents against lesbian, gay, bisexual people or transgender people, have been rarely reported and even more rarely prosecuted. Research studies suggest that victims of, or witnesses to, such incidents have very little confidence in the criminal justice system. The CPS is committed to addressing this problem, ensuring crimes against our LGBT communities are tackled properly.

You can read the CPS policy on Prosecuting Homophobic and Transphobic Hate Crimes here.

Disability hate crime

Feeling and being unsafe through violence, harassment or negative stereotyping has a significant impact on disabled people's sense of security and wellbeing. It also impacts significantly on their ability to participate both socially and economically in their communities. The CPS takes disability hate crime seriously.

You can read the CPS policy on prosecuting Disability Hate Crimes here and there is an Easy Read version available here
Crimes against older people

Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure and to live free from the fear of crime. We know that feeling and being unsafe have significant negative impacts on older people's health and sense of well-being. Our policy, Prosecuting Crimes Against Older People, makes clear to older people, their families, communities and the general public that the CPS understands the serious implications of this type of crime. You can read the CPS Policy on Prosecuting Crimes against Older People here.

Linkn to the site above. http://www.cps.gov.uk/northeast/vict...es/hate_crime/

This could have consequences for sites on the Net. Getting into heated discussions things can boil over and words misconstrued, and before you know it all hell breaks loose.

Is it good or stifling of real and necessary needed debate to highlight things.?

Re: Online hate crime.

What about hate filled homophobic posts on here...do they count?

Re: Online hate crime.

I can appreciate that the way some trolls act, it should be treated as hate crime, even the family of murder victims when paying tribute to them online are targeted, as has the victim themselves, by vile cowards sitting at their computers in their bedrooms.

The one thing that does worry me however, is the erosion of free speech. Once a law is passed, they seem to add more and more to it until we are in danger of not being able to criticise anyone at all for fear of being accused of committing a hate crime.

I want to continue to be able to call people such as David Cameron a cowardly plonker for his part in not bringing anything back from Brussels. Will I therefore sometime in the future, if politicians and the PC brigade have their way, be taken to task for bringing his personality and intelligence into view of the public?

I abhor anyone who would personally attack someone from the shadow of their bedroom, but where do we cross the line with everyday generalisations about people in the public eye?

Re: Online hate crime.

While I agree it's going to be difficult sometimes to tell, I'd say most of us would know when a line is crossed. I'd suggest on this forum if has been on occasion and should be stopped. If it takes a law then so be it. I'd also suggest we all know when we are targeted if anyone actually threatens then they do need to be dealt with. I think just calling someone a plonker will still be ok if anyone doesn't think so they shouldn't really be on the internet because they are far too sensitive.

Re: Online hate crime.

Exactly, I think this is aimed at sustained abuse that some people suffer, no one should have to put up with that!

Re: Online hate crime.

I agree. Erosion of free speech means our heading towards the situation of Nazi Germany, Communist Russia and a number of other such countries.

Is that what we want?

People will still retain their feelings about others and preventing them from voicing them will cause them to bottle them up, with the likelihood of them exploding in the future.

This country has had freedom of speech for a very long time and now, thanks to the prevalence of do-gooders and the PC brigade, it seems that will be something else we have lost.

Re: Online hate crime.

The Thought Police are amassing....

Re: Online hate crime.

My concern as well SG, could we be forced to no longer use the word hate itself ?.

I have strong opinions on many subjects and bite my tongue all the time, i cant always do that though.

Re: Online hate crime.

And what will the Criminals' Protection Service do when they decide to prosecute someone for saying something that is (in their opinion) a 'hate crime'?

They take the matter to court. Unless such courts are held in secret, the reason for their prosecution will have to be made public. Then others of like mind will hear about it and become even more angry.

And that will prevent hatred?

Another possible outcome is that, if people are prevented from expressing their opinions in this country, perhaps they will do it in other, more liberal, countries.

The thing about the internet is that it is international. More than that, it is possible to post messages online without disclosing one's identity.

How will the do-gooders deal with that?

Re: Online hate crime.

Do you know I've never felt I have to bite my tongue, I pretty much say exactly what I want. I think if anyone does bite their tongue it may be either they misunderstand that they can have an opinion and that's ok, or they want to hurt people, I can't imagine that's you nom at all.