Hate crime cases rose by 14% over the last 12 months in Scotland, with just over 6,000 charges being reported.
The official figures published showed there were 4,518 race crime charges in 2011/12, a rise of 8% on the previous 12 month period.
Religiously aggravated charges rose by 29% to 897.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal said greater awareness, reporting and recording of hate crimes partly accounted for the increased figures.
The statistics relate directly to race crimes, and on crimes motivated by prejudice related to religion, disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity.
Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham said: “Hatred of any kind, whether it is on the basis of religion, race or sexual orientation, is unacceptable in modern Scotland and those responsible are being punished with the full force of the law.
“The Lord Advocate sent out strong warning last year that this kind of behaviour would be met with a zero tolerance response and our police and prosecutors are responding, tackling the actions of these individuals head on.
“The small minority who think that this kind of behaviour is somehow acceptable are finding out the hard way that it isn’t, and never will be. Their actions shame Scotland and they are being swiftly punished by Scotland’s prosecutors.”
The figures do not include 42 charges reported to the Crown linked to a new law on religious sectarian hate crime at football matches, which came into force on 1 March.
Main findings on hate crime |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime types | 2011/12 | 2010/11 | Percentage change |
|
SOURCE: CROWN OFFICE AND PROCURATOR FISCAL
|
|||
|
Race |
4,518 |
4,178 |
7.53% |
|
Religious aggravation |
897 |
695 |
29.06% |
|
Sexual orientation |
652 |
447 |
45.86% |
|
Aggravation of disability |
68 |
48 |
41.66% |
|
Aggravation of transgender identity |
16 |
14 |
14.29% |
|
TOTAL |
6,151 |
5,385 |
14.22% |
2 Responses
All of these statistics show how real people have been harmed and hurt because of prejudice against them. So in the UK right now why is deemed acceptable to actually create the kind of attitude that leads to these incidents on one particular group. I am of course talking about the disabled, and surely following on from this if it is illegal to foster discrimination against any of the groups listed above, then what is currently being done by IDS and this disgraceful government must be illegal , surely, so the challenge must come, the appropriate laws used and those responsible be punished as no one is above the law whoever they are .
I have been called names owing to my mental health issues, and had disparaging and unfavourable treatment. Haters need to be told where to get the hell off yeah.