Scottish Justice Secretary Angela Constance has defended the country’s hate crime law, citing 240 recorded hate crimes in the first week as evidence it is “needed to protect marginalised and vulnerable communities.”
On Wednesday, Police Scotland issued its first date update which shows that over 7,000 hate crime reports have been recorded since the new law came into effect.
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, which was enacted on April 1, sparked a large number of claims in its first week, with 7,152 hate reports made online.
Police added that during this period, 240 hate crimes and 30 non-crime hate incidents were also recorded.
The controversial new law creates a new crime of “stirring up of hatred offences” for protected characteristics including “age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and transgender identity.”
Legislation is Required
Ms. Constance welcomed the news that 240 hate crimes had been recorded.
She said, “It is important when we look at the number of hate crimes recorded—240—by Police Scotland in one week alone, I think that demonstrates that this legislation is required and needed to protect marginalised and vulnerable communities most at risk of racial hatred and prejudice.”
A spokesperson for the force said: “This data highlights the substantial increase in the number of online hate reports being received since April 1.
“This significant demand continues to be managed within our contact centres and, so far, the impact on frontline policing, our ability to answer calls and respond to those who need our help in communities across Scotland has been minimal.
“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.”
The act has been described as “dangerous,” and that it could see people prosecuted in their homes, by a range of free speech groups and Scottish Conservative MPs.
The Free Speech Union has previously warned that the criminalisation of speech “based on subjective criteria that Scotland’s new hate crime law will only intensify.”
Police Cuts
On Tuesday, the general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation warned of the potential impact of a further drop in officer numbers.Since the creation of Police Scotland in April 2013, numbers have dropped from 17,324 to 16,363, which is 250 less than the previous quarter.
Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: “Rank and file officers correctly highlight the perfect storm that the SNP have created due to years of shamefully neglecting Scottish policing, coupled with the absurd new Hate Crime Act.
“It stands to reason that organised crime will flourish and the threat of extremism grow if officer numbers are at their lowest level since 2008 and police stations are closing up and down Scotland.
“These brutal cuts have forced the police to abandon investigating certain crimes at the same time as they are being deluged with thousands of fresh complaints—many of them spurious or vexatious—under the reckless Hate Crime Act.”
When asked if there was any concern about the time and manpower spent on investigating all the hate crimes in light of the cuts, a Police Scotland spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email, “While we have seen a substantial increase in the number of online reports being received since April 1, these have been managed within our contact centres and have not impacted frontline policing.”
