Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs Fifth Report


Conclusions and recommendations

1.  The present police figures may underestimate the problem of racial and homophobic attacks in Northern Ireland by a considerable margin. (Paragraph 4)

2.  There is evidence of a significant and rapidly growing problem of 'hate crime' in Northern Ireland. The Committee supports unreservedly the policy of the Government in seeking to address this worrying trend as a matter of urgency. (Paragraph 5)

3.  Though we cannot prejudge the likely success of the Government's sentence based approach, we hope that it will signal that there is to be no tolerance of 'hate crime' offences. Much will depend in practice on the priority given to enforcing the proposed law by the police. We were heartened by the evidence we received from the Police Service of Northern Ireland which indicated that the police were taking the matter seriously. For example, sectarian incidents will now be recorded by the police. We were also pleased that officials of the Northern Ireland Office in evidence to us indicated that the Government intended to review the effectiveness of the Order in due course. (Paragraph 9)

4.  We are convinced that strong laws and effective police enforcement measures against 'hate crime' are required to send the strongest possible signal that such activity is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We expect to see the problem tackled more vigorously in the future by the Police Service of Northern Ireland than appears to have been the case in the past. (Paragraph 10)

5.  The Government has failed to establish any grounds for adopting a different approach in Northern Ireland to attacks against disabled people than applies in England and Wales. We are concerned that the Government, by not including hostility against disabled people within the draft Order, is unintentionally encouraging the perception that disabled people in Northern Ireland are less deserving of specific legal protection than in England and Wales. The Government is rightly prepared to legislate on 'hate crime' offences in Northern Ireland even where the numbers of recorded incidents, while significant, are numerically modest—as in the case of homophobic attacks. We believe that hate motivated incidents involving people with disabilities are likely to be on a scale at least comparable to that demonstrated for homophobic incidents. (Paragraph 14)

6.  The Government and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) should begin to collect statistics for incidents of 'hate crime' against disabled people in Northern Ireland without delay in order that the scale of the problem can be ascertained accurately. We were pleased to hear that the PSNI see no particular difficulties in doing so. (Paragraph 15)

7.  However, the collection of statistical information will take time and we do not believe that the Government should wait before taking legislative action. We found the arguments for the Government to amend the draft Order to include 'hate crime' against the disabled compelling. The change is small in drafting terms but could have a crucial effect upon the lives of disabled people in Northern Ireland. The Government should also give consideration to whether the carers and families of disabled people require similar, targeted protection. By taking this action the Government would bring the law in Northern Ireland into line with that in England and Wales and by doing so will provide another signal that in Northern Ireland 'normal rules apply'. The officials who gave evidence to us indicated that the Government's mind was not closed on the matter. For the reasons set out above we urge the Government to ensure that the proposed draft Order is amended to afford appropriate protection from 'hate crime' to people with disabilities. (Paragraph 16)


 
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