Dealing with Hate Crime

We are here to support you if you experience a hate incident or a hate crime. 

Please read the information on this page if you, or you know someone, may be affected.   

Hate Crime frequently asked questions

We’ve answered some of the most common questions here. If you have a question that we’ve not covered, get in touch.

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Hate Crime

The Police and Criminal Prosecution Service define hate crime as:  

‘Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic’.   

When a person’s social identity is attacked, it is commonly based on one or more of these five characteristics: 

  • Disability;
  • Race or ethnicity;
  • Religion or belief;
  • Sexual orientation; or 
  • Transgender identity.   

Hate crimes can take many forms, including:

  • Physical attacks, such as physical assaults, offensive graffiti, damage to property and arson. 
  • Threats of attack, such as offensive letters, abusive phone calls or text messages, groups who hang around to intimidate and malicious complaints. 
  • Verbal abuse, such as insults, harassment, bullying, offensive leaflets and posters and abusive gestures. 
  • Online abuse for example via social media.

A person may also be a victim of hate crime based on several factors, for example a disabled person may be harassed on both their disability and their race. 

When a hate incident becomes a criminal offence it is known as a hate crime. Not all hate incidents are a hate crime, but it can feel like a crime to those who suffer them and can often escalate to crimes or tension in a community. 

Where the person is suffering from repeated incidents this may lead to severe distress making life feel intolerable.  Incidents of hate crime can also have widespread and long-term implications for the whole community.   

PFH will work to prevent hate crime by promoting awareness and ensuring our staff are trained, and by fostering community engagement, inclusion and tolerance amongst PFH communities and wider communities.   

PFH will: 

  • Make a distinction between reports of general anti-social behaviour and hate crime/incidents.  
  • Ensure staff are trained to support you 
  • Take a victim-centred approach 
  • Investigate thoroughly 
  • Provide help and support for victims and perpetrators 
  • Contact you within one working day following the initial report 
  • Develop an action plan with you and carry out a risk assessment 
  • Keep you updated on any developments 

Ensure any damage to property is remedied within 24 hours.   

  • We will explain the consequences of the perpetrators actions; this may mean their Letter of Appointment (Licence) is at risk and that they may face losing their home. 
  • Whether the perpetrator is a PFH resident or not, we will work with other agencies to combat hate crime, including the Council’s ASB team, the Police and victim support groups, MARAC, Safeguarding boards etc. 
  • Consider the civil remedies available and appropriate. 

To make a report, you can use the following methods: 

  • PFH’s Website
  • Email
  • Telephone, including our of hours (01482 223783) 
  • Via the PFH Connect tablet 
  • In writing or in person (7 Beacon Way, Hull, HU3 4AE) 
  • Via an advocate 

Hate crimes and incidents are extremely sensitive for victims to report and PFH will maintain the confidentiality of a disclosure regarding abuse to the extent allowed by law and unless to do so would result in significant harm or risk of harm to any person on any cases that are reported.