Scotland’s Prosecution Service published a report on hate crime in Scotland from 2015-16 on 10 June 2016. The report brings together figures on race crime, and on crime motivated by prejudice related to religion, disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity.
The main findings are:
• Racial crime remains the most commonly reported hate crime. There were 3,712 charges reported in 2015-16, 3 percent lower than in 2014-15, and the lowest number reported since 2003-04.
• Sexual orientation aggravated crime is the second most common type of hate crime. There were 1,020 charges reported in 2015-16, an increase of 20 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 581, is 3 percent higher than in 2014-15. Including charges that are now reported under the Offensive Behaviour at Football legislation, all religious related charges are also 3 percent higher than in 2014-15.
• There were 201 charges reported in 2015-16 with an aggravation of prejudice relating to disability, 14 percent more than in 2014-15.
• There were 287 charges reported in 2015-16 under Section 1 of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012, 49 percent higher than in 2014-15. This is the highest annual number of charges reported since this legislation came into force.