WHAT IS HATE CRIME AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE A VICTIM
A Hate Incident is any event which is perceived by the victim, or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice towards a person’s race, colour, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or disability.
When an event motivated by any of these things becomes a criminal offence, such as physical assault, mental abuse, damage to property, or other crimes, it becomes a Hate Crime.
Hate Crimes or Incidents are dealt with very seriously by us and the Police. The impact on victims of hate crimes can be devastating. It is important that you report a Hate Crime or Hate Incidents even if they do not directly affect you.
You can call and report a Hate Crime by calling our emergency number on 020 7100 7676.
If you are in any doubt that your safety, health or life is in danger, call the police immediately on 999.
Hate Crimes Include:
Violence or threats of violence
Abusive or insulting words or behaviour
Damage or threats of damage to property
Graffiti
Arson or attempted arson
We always take hate crime incidents and complaints very seriously, and we will:
Respect your decisions regarding how we deal with it including anonymity
Act quickly to deal with the situation, such as remove offensive graffiti and carry out repairs if needed as a result of the incident as a matter of urgency
Be honest with you about the possible outcome of the case
Establish contact with the best people to help and support you
Support you in contacting the police
Do everything possible to help you move to another home if the matter can’t be solved
Support you to stay in your home if you don’t want to move
Help you to take legal action where needed
Allow you to give feedback on our handling of your case
We work in partnership with the Police and Local Authorities, and the action we take will depend on the evidence available.
However, we may not be able to do much if there is not much evidence, the action is not witnessed, or evidence is contradictory.
We might need to gather more evidence before we can do anything to help, and we may only be able to talk to the offender; but we will keep in touch until you are happy that the matter has been resolved.
With your permission, we will work with partners like the police and local authorities if the evidence is clear and substantial.
Rachel has a wealth of experience in management consulting, investment banking and private equity. She holds NED and Trustee positions in the housing and international development sectors, plus an MBA in Finance from the USA’s Wharton Business School. She also gained a Chartered Institute of Management (CIMA) qualification whilst living overseas in Azerbaijan.
