Print Magazine
Brussels Morning Newspaper
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • About Us
  • EU institutions
    • Commission
    • Parliament
    • Council
  • Europe
  • World
  • Economy
  • Culture and Society
  • In Depth
    • Ambassador’s Corner
    • The American Angle
    • Sustainable Perspective
    • Europe With Transparency
    • Place de la Bourse
    • The Macro-Economist
    • Southeast Europe
Brussels Morning Newspaper
  • Home
    • About Us
  • EU institutions
    • Commission
    • Parliament
    • Council
  • Europe
  • World
  • Economy
  • Culture and Society
  • In Depth
    • Ambassador’s Corner
    • The American Angle
    • Sustainable Perspective
    • Europe With Transparency
    • Place de la Bourse
    • The Macro-Economist
    • Southeast Europe
Brussels Morning Newspaper
No Result
View All Result
Home Europe

Welsh report shows drastic increase in disability hate crime

Sophia Akram by Sophia Akram
8 October 2020
in Europe, Features
Welsh report shows drastic increase in disability hate crime
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A report has shown that reported online hate crimes aimed at people with disabilities increased by 84 percent within one year.

The research by liability charities Leonard Cheshire and United Response is based on complaints lodged with three Welsh police forces showing an increase from 19 reported incidents over the annual period between 2018-2019 to 35 in 2019-2020.

The Welsh government has faced calls to combat the rise through legislative measures.

A spokeswoman for the Welsh government said it would aim to combat hate crime by providing funding for advocacy and support for victims, but that legislation was a matter for the UK government.

However, between the three police forces, the change was quite disparate. Dyfed-Powys Police saw a threefold increase, Gwent Police a 50 percent increase and North Wales Police did not see any change in the number of reports for online disability hate crimes.

South Wales was asked for data but did not respond to the charities’ requests.

The total number of complaints amounted to 268 across the three forces, while there were 42 prosecutions for disability hate crime in Wales in 2019/20, 36 of which had successful prosecutions.

Talking to the BBC, Alice Legg from Monmouth said her children who have autism, had experienced abuse:

“People call us offensive names like ‘retard’ and ‘spastic’ and make us feel like we shouldn’t be part of the community”.

Another man, Dan Biddle, had survived the London 7/7 bombings but lost both his legs. He described how he had been called a “lazy bastard” at their local refuse centre even while his wife had explained he was disabled.

In both instances, complaints were made to the police, but nothing came of it.

Biddle told the BBC hate crimes against disabled people was an act of resentment borne out of ignorance.

The commissioning charities have advocated for the Welsh government to introduce legislation similar to Scotland’s Hate Crime and Public Order Bill.

“As a charity that advocates for digital inclusion, we want to ensure that the internet is a safe place for disabled people”, said Leonard Cheshire Cymru’s director, Glyn Meredith.

“Given the recent Covid-19 pandemic, many disabled people have been confined to their homes, with only digital technology to keep them connected to the outside world”.

Tags: disability hate crimeWelsh
Follow Brussels Morning
Facebook Twitter Youtube Linkedin

About Us

Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.

More Info

  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Cookie Policy
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
  • Jobs

Categories

  • Belgium News
  • Brussels
  • Culture and Society
  • Economy
  • EU Institutions
  • Commission
  • Council
  • Parliament
  • Europe
  • Features
  • Health & Fitness
  • In Depth
  • Ambassador’s Corner
  • Europe With Transparency
  • Place de la Bourse
  • Southeast Europe
  • Sustainable Perspective
  • The American Angle
  • The Macro-Economist
  • Member States
  • Opinion
  • Our pick
  • Uncategorised
  • World
  • Diplomacy
  • Middle East Eye
  • US Elections
  • Join Our Newsletter

    Brussels Morning Newspaper – All Rights Reserved © 2020

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • About Us
    • Brussels Bubble
      • Parliament
      • Commission
      • Council
    • Wider Europe
      • Member States
    • World
    • Business & Society
    • Europe With Transparency
    • Culture & Society
    • Policy Talks
      • Place de la Bourse
      • The Macro-Economist
      • Sustainable Perspective
      • Ambassador’s Corner
      • The American Angle
      • Southeast Europe
    • Print Magazine

    Brussels Morning Newspaper - All Rights Reserved © 2020

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT