Question reference: S6W-11943
- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 7 November 2022
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Current status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 16 November 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-03291 by Shona Robison on 8 October 2021, what steps it has taken to address the reported shortfall in data about Islamophobic hate crimes and hate crimes against non-Muslim groups such as Sikhs and Hindus in Scotland.
Answer
We are committed to tackling hatred and prejudice in all its forms and recognise the value of having robust data and evidence on hate crime in Scotland. We want to see disaggregated data published on a regular and sustainable basis – including data about hate crimes against Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus.
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 makes provision requiring disaggregated information about police recorded hate crime and convictions data to be published annually. We are working with justice partners to ensure these provisions can be implemented effectively.
In the meantime, a further Scottish Government study into the characteristics of hate crimes recorded by police in 2020-21 will be published later this winter. This report will include the nature of hate crimes recorded by the police, including characteristics of both victims and perpetrators.
We encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed a hate crime to report it to Police Scotland by dialling 101 in non-emergencies, or 999 in emergencies.