Amnesty want better police training to deal with ‘under-reported’ hate crimes

Amnesty International is calling for a review of hate crime laws and improvements in training for police on how to deal with the offences.

The group says the measures are needed to combat a problem that is “under-reported and under-resourced”.

In a briefing published a year on from the EU referendum, the organisation raises the alarm about incidents in which victims were targeted based on disability, race, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity.

It also highlights cases of sectarian-motivated hate crimes in Northern Ireland.

Amnesty’s paper, produced following a study by researchers at the University of Leicester, says many hate crime victims are not reporting abuse.

It argues that training of police officers across the country is inconsistent and conviction rates are low.

The study also points to figures suggesting a lower proportion of hate crime victims are satisfied with the police response in terms of fairness and effectiveness compared to general crime victims.

Kate Allen, director of Amnesty UK, said: “The rise of hate crime in the UK is of significant concern for a number of reasons – and the time is now to put a stop to it.

“Every year hundreds of thousands of people in the United Kingdom are attacked and harassed – physically or verbally – because they are perceived as ‘different’.

“All people of all identities should be able to go about their lives in peace, without the fear of being abused or harassed by those who seek to sow hatred and division.”

She added: “In recent weeks, attacks in London and Manchester have attempted to undermine the very fabric of our society.

“In their wake, we have seen reports of a rise in demonising language and dangerous comments that can cause real harm to real people. Now, more than ever, we must stand together against this hatred.

“We are now calling for police to receive increased training in how to respond to hate crime and support victims, for more resources to assist investigation and prosecution, and for more awareness in how victims can report hate crimes.”

Concern around hate crime intensified in the days after the referendum a year ago.

Figures showed the number of racially and religiously aggravated alleged offences logged by forces in England and Wales in July 2016 was 41% higher than in the same month of the previous year.

A total of 62,518 hate crimes were recorded by the police in England and Wales in 2015/16, an increase of 19% compared with 2014/15.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “There is no excuse for any form of intolerance and we are clear that anyone who commits a hate crime should be prosecuted.

“We already have a strong legislative framework to tackle hate crime but we are determined to do even more.

“This is why last year the Home Secretary published our hate crime action plan and asked Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of the Constabulary to assess the police response to ensure it is dealt with effectively and efficiently.”

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for hate crime, said: “Everyone should be able to live their life free from hate crime and we continue to work to reduce the harm it causes.

“We welcome this research, as part of our approach to hate crime is to work closely with academics to better understand its complex origins and the impact it has on victims and our society.

“The UK has one of the most robust responses to hate crime anywhere in the world and our efforts are regularly praised by international observers.

“We have worked hard with partners to improve the service to victims and, despite the successes, we know there is still much to do.”

Facebook to educate charities about countering hate speech

Facebook has revealed new plans to tackle extremism by educating charities and other organisations on how to counter hate speech.

The social media giant has launched the Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI), which the firm said would act as a forum for charities and other non-profit organisations to share their experiences of extremism and develop “best practices” to tackle the issue both on and offline.

The initiative’s founding partners include the Jo Cox Foundation, set up in memory of the murdered MP, as well as other anti-hate groups from the Jewish and Muslim communities.

The OCCI will be used as a way to share experiences on facing hate speech and extremism, Facebook said, with the aim of the scheme to create awareness campaigns and better “counterspeech” to tackle extremism.

Internet companies have come under increased scrutiny from the Government over their role in the spread of hate speech.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the Government was “not frightened” to issue sanctions to firms who failed to remove extreme material.

Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said of the company’s practices: “There is no place for hate or violence on Facebook.

“We use technology like AI to find and remove terrorist propaganda, and we have teams of counterterrorism experts and reviewers around the world working to keep extremist content off our platform.

“Partnerships with others – including tech companies, civil society, researchers and governments – are also a crucial piece of the puzzle.

“The UK Online Civil Courage Initiative will support NGOs and community groups who work across the UK to challenge the extremist narratives that cause such harm.

“We know we have more to do, but through our platform, our partners and our community we will continue to learn to keep violence and extremism off Facebook.”

The OCCI has already launched in Germany and France, and is being supported by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, who said it would help the scheme mobilise “innovative technology together with expert knowledge” to counter the spread of hate speech.

Fiyaz Mughal, founder of Tell Mama, which works to tackle anti-Muslim hatred and is an OCCI founding partner, said: “This initiative is much needed given that a vast amount of material online may be insulting and sometimes inflammatory, though it may not cross a legal threshold for action.

“This means that civil society mobilisation is needed as counter-speech to tackle such texts, language and ideologies.

“This is one tool in challenging motivations and ideologies that seek to divide us and to marginalise people as though they are not part of our country.

“We are in a battle for hearts and minds and this initiative is one tool in mobilising the enormous force for good that is in communities.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “The scale and nature of the terrorist threat we face is constantly evolving as terrorist supporters increase the speed in which they communicate their hateful messages and content online.

“We have called on industry to take more action on the issue and welcome this new initiative from Facebook to provide support to other organisations in tackling terrorist and extremist material.

“Technology companies still need to go further and faster in moving towards preventing this type of toxic output being disseminated in the first place.

“We look forward to seeing how the industry-led forum, which will combat terrorist use of the internet, will build on this collective response to the threat.”

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