Winning the battle against hate crime requires a breakdown of the stereotypes, attitudes, and world views that foster it in the first place.
This is according to a November 2019 report (pdf) from the charity, Why me? on how Restorative Justice provides a viable option for victims of hate crime and why victims should have access to it.
The report finds:
- Over 103,000 hate crime offences were recorded by the police in England and Wales last year. This is a 10% increase on the previous year. Just 15% of hate crimes were prosecuted in 2017/18.
- Not only is hate crime rising, but hate crime victims are more emotionally affected than other victims and less satisfied with police handling of the incident.
- Restorative Justice encourages empathy and understanding, making many people affected by hate crime feel it is worthwhile
- A restorative meeting allows victims to have their voices heard in a controlled, secure environment, which has the potential to be deeply empowering.
- The best person to decide if Restorative Justice is suitable for someone who has experienced hate crime, is that person themself.
