Official figures in England and Wales recorded 42,930 racist hate crimes and 183 racist hate crimes in Northern Ireland people. This figure includes an unspecified number of anti-Semitic crimes.
Official figures in England and Wales recorded 3,254 crimes based on bias against religion. Official figures in Northern Ireland recorded 65 crimes based on bias against religion.
Official figures recorded 5,597 crimes based on bias against sexual orientation and 605 crimes based on bias against transgender people in England and Wales. Fifty-four crimes based on bias against sexual orientation and against transgender people were recorded in Northern Ireland.
Official figures recorded 2,508 crimes based on bias against people with disabilities in England and Wales and 23 crimes based on bias against people with disabilities in Northern Ireland.
The Welsh Assembly published its hate crime strategy, “Tackling hate crimes and incidents: a framework for action”, focusing on three objectives: prevention, supporting victims and improving multi-agency response.
The London’s Mayor’s Office published a hate crime strategy for London. The strategy identifies a number of objectives for 2014-2017, including: disseminating hate crime resources for educational institutions; developing an awareness campaign in London; developing a smartphone app for reporting incidents; developing a third party telephone reporting mechanism across London to supplement already existing local mechanisms; co-operating with the Ministry of Justice to develop resources within the True Vision hate crime reporting information website that are specific to London; developing, with the Metropolitan Police Service, a map of London’s hate crime hotspots; improving the use of enhanced sentencing by judges in “hostility-based offences” by urging the Home Secretary to introduce new sentencing guidelines for hate crimes and the recording of enhanced sentences on the Police National Computer.
A new guidance on hate crime was published by the College of Policing and it aims at helping police officers reduce under-reporting of hate crimes. The guidance further recognized emerging challenges such as internet-based offences and improving police response to disability hate crime.
The Community Security Trust (CST) and the Kantor Center reported 81 physical assaults, including one in which the victim was attacked with a baseball bat and glass, 38 assaults against visibly Jewish people, mainly men, four against worshippers in the vicinity of a synagogue, and four against school children.
The CST and the Kantor Center also reported 79 incidents of damage to Jewish property, including 39 incidents of damage to Jewish homes and nine incidents against synagogues, a further 65 incidents of anti-Semitic graffiti or stickers, 92 incidents of threats, 29 of which took place in public and 21 of which took place on social media or email, and four by standard mail. Many of the incidents reported by CST were in connection with the conflict in Gaza during the summer of 2014.
The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians reported an attempted arson attack on a church and one incident in which parishioners were threatened during a service.
Transgender Europe and the Transgender Equality Network – Ireland reported one physical assault and a series of threats against a transgender student.
Tell MAMA reported one incident of threats against a woman.
Tell MAMA reported one physical assault by a group against a Muslim woman, during which her headscarf was ripped-off and racial slurs were used; the stabbing of a Pakistani taxi driver, during which his vehicle was damaged; one incident of threats against an Asian family by a group, during which a vehicle was damaged; and three incidents of threats.
MEND and Tell MAMA reported the attempted murder of a man in which anti-Muslim slurs were used; three physical assaults causing serious injury; one incident of threat; three arson attacks against places of worship; two incidents of in which places of worship were desecrated, including one in which a pig's head was placed outside an Islamic centre; one incident of the desecration of graves, and; one incident of damage to property.
Tell MAMA further reported 20 incidents of physical assault, four of which caused serious injuries and two of which were carried out by groups; and one attempted physical assault on a family. Victims of these physical assaults included 17 women, six of whom had their headscarves ripped-off, and one boy who was attacked twice. Tell MAMA also reported six incidents of damage to property, four of which targeted mosques; one arson attack; one attempted arson attack on a mosque; one incident of burglary, during which a mosque was vandalized; four incidents of graffiti; and 25 incidents of threats.
MEND additionally reported 17 physical assaults, eight of which caused serious injuries; two incidents of threats; one incident of robbery during which a man was verbally abused and assaulted by a group; four incidents of damage to property; three arson attacks on places of worship; and two incidents of vandalism.
World Without Nazism reported eight physical assaults, of which five were carried out by groups and one caused serious injuries; five incidents of damage to property, including the bombing of a house with nail bombs; one arson attack; one threat that involved the use of an air gun; and two incidents of graffiti.
World Without Nazism reported the murder of a Muslim woman, one incident of physical assault on Muslim women wearing headscarves and one incident of the desecration of graves.
World Without Nazism reported two physical assaults, three incidents of damage to property, three incidents graffiti and two incidents of the desecration to graves.
World Without Nazism reported one incident of physical assault.
ODIHR observes that the United Kingdom has met most OSCE commitments on hate crime data collection and reporting. ODIHR further observes that data on certain OSCE-mandated bias motivations – although recorded - have not been reported to ODIHR.