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Press Release

Tackling disability hate crime

18 October 2011

Legislation is only one small part of the answer to tackling disability hate crime, the minister for disabled people has said.

Speaking at a meeting of the Voice UK all-party parliamentary group, which aims to promote equality and access to the criminal justice system for disabled people, Maria Miller placed an emphasis on the importance of the work that user-led organisations carry out with disabled people in the community, to instil them with confidence that they will be taken seriously if they come forward to report a crime.

A report released in September by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, 'Hidden in Plain Sight', revealed the true extent of harassment directed towards disabled people on a daily basis.

Mike Smith, commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission and chair of the disability committee, said there remains 'significant under reporting' of incidences of disability hate crime.

Although a recent survey by Scope revealed that half of all disabled people have been the victim of harassment because of their disability, he said many disabled people do not report crimes against them to the police due to negative experiences in the past, or when they do come forward there is a lack of proper recording.

If the country is to address the levels of hate crime directed at disabled people, he said there needs to be a "fundamental shift" in the way society understands and values disabled people in the first place.

Keir Starmer, director of public prosecutions, said the number of disabled people coming forward to report a crime against them is still very low.

A landmark ruling in 2009 deemed the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to be in breach of the Human Rights Act after it decided not to pursue the case of an assault victim in court on the grounds that the victim had a mental health problem.

Starmer said the CPS has worked to improve its guidelines and policies in the years following the ruling.

"We have shown," he said "you can prosecute, even in cases where there are very significant communication difficulties."

Ian Mearns, MP for Gateshead and chair of the APPG, responding to a point from a member of the audience, lambasted the inaccuracy of available data on disability hate crimes.

"It is clearly not credible that a whole police force would have nil crimes reported in the last year," he said.

After reiterating the lack of credibility this gives to the system, Starmer finished: "It beggars belief."



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