Hate crime complaints drop by almost 75% in second week of new laws, Police Scotland confirms
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act aims to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice but has come under fire from opponents who claim the new laws could stifle free speech.
Tuesday 16 April 2024 14:53, UK
The number of hate crime complaints made to Police Scotland has dropped by almost 75% in the second week of new legislation coming into force.
From 8-14 April, the force received 1,832 online hate reports - down from 7,152 the previous week (74.4%).
Of these, 213 were recorded as hate crimes (down from 240) and 25 were logged as non-crime hate incidents (down from 30), meaning they did not meet the threshold for a criminal offence.
Police Scotland said the vast majority of reports received during this period were anonymous.
These were assessed against the new legislation and no further action is being taken.
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act came into force on 1 April and aims to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice, extending protections from abusive behaviour to people on grounds including age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity.
The legislation does not include sex as a protected characteristic, as a standalone bill designed to tackle misogyny is expected to be put before the Scottish parliament at a later date.
First Minister Humza Yousaf has said transgender women will be protected under any new misogyny law.
Since the new hate crime laws have come into force, 240 complaints reported had a racial aggravator attached, while 79 had an aggravator for sexual orientation, 61 for disability, 38 for age, 33 for religion, and 14 for transgender identity.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Yousaf said "bad faith actors" had lodged "vexatious" complaints in the act's first few days.
Police Scotland received 3,419 complaints on the first day alone, prompting concerns that officers could be overwhelmed.
Speaking at the annual Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) conference in Dundee later in the day, Mr Yousaf insisted the legislation is being enforced in a "proportionate" way.
He said: "The people who have not been given so much airtime are, of course, the everyday victims of hate crime - of which we know there are far too many in our society.
"We've heard virtually nothing about the people who experience hate whilst at work - frontline workers who, just for doing their job, sometimes suffer the most disgraceful discrimination, abuse and threats.
"They may not have the powerful connections to get their stories told, but, friends, all of us here are listening to them."
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What are Scotland's new hate crime laws?
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Supporters of the new laws insist they will make Scotland more tolerant.
But Harry Potter author JK Rowling has publicly criticised the act, suggesting it erodes free speech as she dared police to arrest her if they believed her online comments were criminal.
Police Scotland later confirmed comments she made online were not recorded as a non-hate crime incident.
A non-crime hate incident is recorded when a complaint does not meet the threshold for a crime but is perceived to be "motivated (wholly or partly) by malice and ill-will towards a social group", according to Police Scotland guidance.
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In a summary released on Tuesday, the force said a total of 84.5% officers have completed training in regard to the new laws.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We have seen a significant reduction in the number of online hate reports and these continue to be managed within our contact centres with minimal impact on frontline policing.
"All complaints received are reviewed by officers, supported by dedicated hate crime advisers, and dealt with appropriately, whether that is being progressed for further assessment, or closed as they do not meet the criteria under the legislation."