A report on hate crime in Scotland 2016-17 (pdf) has been published by Scotland’s prosecution service. This June 2017 research brings together figures on race crime with crime motivated by religion, disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity.
The main findings are:
- Racial crime remains the most commonly reported hate crime. There were 3,349 charges reported in 2016-17, 10 percent fewer than in 2015-16, and the lowest number reported since 2003-04.
- Sexual orientation aggravated crime is the second most common type of hate crime. There were 1,075 charges reported in 2016-17, an increase of 5 percent. With the exception of 2014-15, there have been year on year increases in charges reported since the legislation introducing this aggravation came into force in 2010.
- The number of religiously aggravated charges reported, at 673, is 14 percent higher than in 2015-16. This is the highest number reported since 2012-13.
- There were 188 charges reported in 2016-17 with an aggravation of prejudice relating to disability, 6 percent fewer than in 2015-16.
- There were 377 charges reported in 2016-17 under Section 1 of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012, 32 percent higher than in 2015-16. This is the highest annual number of charges reported since this legislation came into force. Over one third of the charges (140) related to a single football match, the Rangers v Hibs cup final in May 2016.
