Two-thirds of LGBTI people in Scotland have suffered hate crime

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Sixty-one per cent of lesbian, gay and bisexual people and 80 per cent of trans people have experienced hate crime, according to a new report by the Equality Network.

The equality charity found that nine out of ten of those had experienced more than one hate crime, with 18 per cent of lesbian, gay and bisexual people and 30 per cent of trans people having suffered more than ten.

Based on a survey of 1,445 people, the Scottish LGBTI hate crime report 2017 is the most comprehensive study of its kind in Scotland.

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The research found that the most common types of hate crime were verbal abuse and threats, followed by physical attacks, online abuse and sexual assault.

The most common location was in the street, followed by public venues such as pubs and cafes.

The survey also found that most hate crime is not reported to police, with 71 per cent of LGBTI people who had experienced hate crimes not reporting any of them to the police and only five per cent reported all of them.

The reasons for not reporting the crimes included thinking they were not serious enough, believing nothing would be done and fear of the consequences.

Of those who did report hate crimes, views were mixed on the police response, with 41 per cent satisfied with the response and 39 per cent dissatisfied.

Where the crime was prosecuted, only one quarter were satisfied with their interaction with the procurator fiscal and the court and half were dissatisfied.

The report makes a range of recommendations to prevent hate crime, to encourage reporting and to ensure better responses from the criminal justice system.

Hannah Pearson, Policy Coordinator of the Equality Network, said, “Hate crime is a serious concern for many LGBTI people.

“We were shocked to find how many people have experienced repeated hate crime. These crimes are unacceptable in 21^st century Scotland.

“Although the report makes for difficult reading, we hope that people will find it informative and useful, and together, we can work in tackling all forms of hate crime”.

She added: “We welcome that we had the opportunity to train a national network of LGBTI police liaison officers last year, but we know that further training in LGBTI issues is needed for all police, as well as Procurator Fiscal Service staff.

“Leadership against prejudice from the Scottish Government and local government, including education in schools, remains vital in preventing hate crime.”