Most hate crimes race-related (From Asian Image)

Most hate crimes race-related

6:26pm Tuesday 14th February 2012 in News

More than four-fifths of all hate crimes prosecuted last year were racially aggravated, figures show.

Some 12,711 of the 15,284 hate crime prosecutions in 2010/11 were race-related, with 83% of cases leading to a conviction, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Hate Crimes report showed.

It comes after Liverpool FC’s Luis Suarez refused to shake Manchester United player Patrice Evra’s hand before Saturday’s match at Old Trafford, fuelling the row over racism in sport.

Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said: “All crime is unacceptable but offences that are driven by hostility or hatred based on personal characteristics are particularly damaging to any civilised society.”

But the CPS is prosecuting more hate crimes, more successfully and with more defendants pleading guilty than ever before, he said.

Of the 15,284 hate crimes prosecuted last year, 83% (12,651) led to convictions with 10,823 (86%) of these after a guilty plea, the figures showed.

This compared with 13,921 hate crime prosecutions in 2009/10, of which 82% (11,405) led to convictions, with 9,700 (85%) of these after a guilty plea.

For the first time, separate figures in the report showed there were 12,711 race-related offences prosecuted last year and a further 565 cases motivated by religious hatred, both with a success rate of 83% (10,566 and 472 cases, respectively).

Others included homophobic and transphobic hate crimes, as well as disability hate crimes.

Mr Starmer added: “The CPS has an important part to play in tackling hate crime in our society, and I am encouraged by these statistics that we are on a firm footing to continue that fight.

”There is a lot more that needs to be done, within society as a whole, particularly in the area of crimes against the disabled community as I have already acknowledged.”

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned on Sunday that football must not return to the “bad old days” following the high-profile racism rows.

Speaking before Suarez apologised for his actions, Mr Hunt said the player’s failure to shake hands with Evra was “incredibly depressing”.

Prime Minister David Cameron is to hold a Downing Street summit to discuss the issue and the sport’s authorities and players’ representatives are due to take part in the session later this month.