Why Report Hate Crime?

How can I report a hate incident or crime? 

You can report hate incidents and crimes as a victim or a witness. You can report directly to the police or to another organisaion that takes reports. 

• If you are in immediate danger, you should always call for the police on 999 
• If it isn't an emergency situation, then you should report incidents to the police by calling 101
• If you don't want to report directly to the police, you can contact an independent hate crime reporting centre, such as Race Equality First. Please go to our hate crime links page for a list of reporting centres in Wales.   

Why should I bother to report? 

We know that people often fail to report hate incidents because they don't think that what happened to them is serious enough, or because they don't think the police can do anything about it. But here are some reasons why you should report: 

• Hate incidents and crimes are upsetting and frightening and reporting it will help you to get the support you need 

• Even if the incident seems trivial to you, it's important to report because it might be part of bigger picture of what's happening in your area and can provide the police with useful intelligence

• The police in Wales are very committed to stopping hate crime and want to hear from victims and witnesses so they can do something about it 

Who will support me if I report? 

All the Welsh police forces provide additional support to victims of hate crime.  When you report a hate incident in South Wales, you will be contacted by one of the force's Hate Crime Officers who will assist you with your case. 

• The Hate Crime Officer will do a risk assessment to make sure everything is being done to keep you safe. If appropriate, they will put together a supportive action plan. 
• The police will give you information about support services in your area, such as Victim Support and Race Equality First 
• The police will investigate your case to find out if a crime has been committed and try to identity the pereptrator. They should keep you up-to-date with what's happening in your case. 

Will my case go to court? 

It's the responsibility of the Crown Prosecution Service (not the police) to decide whether a case can be taken to court. For this to happen, the case will have to pass the same evidential and public interest tests that all others kinds of crime have to pass. This means that for an offence to be tried as a hate crime, the police will need to find evidence that it was aggravated by hostility or prejudice towards the victims' identity. 

It won't be possible to take every single case to trial, but we still recommend that you report hate incidents and crimes so the police can investigate and you can get support.  

Who will support me if my case does go to court? 

If the offender is charged and there is enough evidence to try the case as a hate crime you will be supported by the Witness Care Unit. 

• Staff from the Unit will do a needs assessment to make sure you are properly supported throughout the process. They can show you the court and explain what will happen on the day.  
• The Unit may be able to help you arrange transport or childcare if you have to go to court 
• If necessary, they can apply for special measures to help you give evidence, such as allowing you to give evidence from behind a screen, or via a video link 
• The Witness Care Unit will contact you after the trial to make sure you're OK 

I'm still unsure if what I've experienced is hate crime, what should I do? 

You can contact Race Equality First on 029 2048 6207 and speak to one of our caseworkers who will be able to advise you.