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scottishflagThe first set of figures relating to hate crime prosecutions in Scotland has been released.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service published the statistics yesterday. They relate to crimes motivated, or considered to have been motivated, by sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.

This was the first year such figures could be collated, following the implementation of the Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009.

The figures show that 448 charges were made for offences motivated by a victim’s sexual orientation and 14 for offences motivated by gender identity.

Carl Watt, director of Stonewall Scotland, commented:

“These figures give us an indication of the prejudice that still exists across Scotland towards people due to their sexual orientation or gender identity; prejudice which has no place in modern Scotland. Strong leadership and a visible commitment is now required from the Scottish Government to tackle this prejudice and ensure it is removed from our schools, from our football terraces, from our streets.”

“It is essential that these crimes are reported and recorded to build an accurate picture of this problem. We also call for a more thorough breakdown of the statistics, including types of crime, geographical location and any repeat offences. We continue to work with Scotland’s police forces to encourage all victims and witnesses to come forward.”

 

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