Barrier-Busting Hate Crime Consultation

Disabled people will be barrier-busting at a Hate Crime consultation this month.

Around 50 people will highlight the barriers which prevent disabled people from reporting Hate Crime and suggest ways in which they can be toppled.

A Hate Crime is one where the victim is targeted because of prejudice based on race, religion or sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity.

Glasgow has a Zero Tolerance stance on the issue and was the first Scottish city to mark Hate Crime Awareness Week in a bid to encourage victims and witnesses to come forward. Yet professionals fear these type of crimes may still be under reported.

Invited delegates from Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA) will meet to debate the reasons why people may be reluctant to seek help and report incidents, either directly to Police Scotland or at one of Glasgow's network of Third Party Reporting Centres.

The event has been organised by Glasgow's Hate Crime Working Group in conjunction with GDA and Community Safety Glasgow (CSG).

Councillor Fariha Thomas, Chair of the Working Group, said: "Hate Crime is abhorrent and will not be tolerated in Glasgow where work goes on year-round to challenge unacceptable behaviour and support victims.

"Consultation events such as this, help identify the barriers preventing victims from speaking out and, more importantly, to find practical steps that can be taken to remove them. It is also an opportunity for agencies to remind vulnerable groups of the support available to anyone who is targeted due to disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity."

GDA is a membership organisation run by and for disabled people. It is based in the city's East End and has more than 3500 members in Greater Glasgow.

Brian Scott of GDA said: "We know from our members, and it has been recognised nationally, that there is significant under reporting of disability Hate Crime. Many disabled people frequently experience Hate Crime ranging from verbal abuse to physical assault but there are many reasons why they do not feel confident to report it Police Scotland or even to Third Party Reporting Centres. Many disabled people describe it as bullying and simply something they have come to accept as a feature of their lives.

"This event seeks to get the views of disabled people themselves on what they feel would be effective approaches and solutions to increase reporting. One area we will be looking at, for example, is how we can encourage bystanders and witnesses who see a disabled person being the victim of a Hate Crime to report it."

The event is being funded by Glasgow City Council and CSG through the Integrated Grants Fund.

Glasgow has a network of more than 60 Third Party Reporting Centres including housing associations, Central Station, Glasgow Disability Alliance, LGBT Youth Scotland, Govan & Craigton Integration Network and Glasgow Jewish Representative Council. These are safe places which people regularly visit and where staff have been trained by Police Scotland to support victims.

Glasgow's Hate Crime Working Group is comprised of agencies including Glasgow City Council, Community Safety Glasgow, Police Scotland, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Victim Support Scotland, Glasgow Disability Alliance, West of Scotland Regional Equality Council and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Learn more about the campaign to combat Hate Crime and Glasgow's Third Party Reporting Centres at www.hatecrimescotland.org