A hate crime or incident is where a person is purposely discriminated against because of one or more protected characteristics, that include:
- Race
- Religion
- Sexual Orientation
- Disability
- Transgender Identity
Reporting hate crime
You can call us on 0330 303 2222.
You can report hate crimes or incidents to Cobalt in the same way you report anti-social behaviour.
What is the difference between a Hate Crime and a Hate Incident?
A hate crime is any crime motivated by hate.
A hate incident is an incident that is not a crime motivated by hate.
Examples:
- Hate Crime – An attack against a person or their property because of one of their protected characteristics
- Hate Incident – Encouraging neighbours not to talk to a resident because of one of their protected characteristics
Cobalt can support victims and witnesses directly by putting interventions in place, when it is appropriate to do so.
You can report incidents directly to the police or any agency that deals with hate crime.
What happens next?
Each reported hate crime case is different and we will deal with each report on an individual basis. The action we take will depend on the circumstances reported but may include:
- Talking to you to gather more information to help us investigate your case
- Referring you to our partners, who can provide specialist support. This could include Merseyside Police, Stop Hate UK and any charities that may provide support to victims such as The Anthony Walker Foundation and Daisy UK
- Referring your case to the Hate Crime Joint Action Group. This group meets every month, bringing together partners from across Liverpool to discuss the most serious cases of hate crime and ensure appropriate action is being taken and support is being provided to victims
- With your permission, contacting the perpetrator to discuss the concerns raised
We will investigate all complaints raised and may take the following action against perpetrators of hate crime:
- Issue a written warning that is logged on their housing file
- Issue an Acceptable Behaviour Contract
- Take legal advice to proceed with enforcement action. This could include an application for a Court Undertaking, an Injunction Order or an application for possession of their home. If legal action is carried out against the perpetrator, this can affect future housing applications.
Ways To Report Hate Crime or Incidents:
Some of the partners we work with that you can contact directly are: