Take heed:
Lord Advocate pledges to toughen up on hate crime
Published on 23 March 2012
SCOTLAND is getting even tougher on tackling 'corrosive' hate crime, the country's top prosecutor has said.
Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland, QC, said it was clear the
zero-tolerance approach to tackling crime based on prejudice means there is no place for bigotry.
He made the claim ahead of a conference yesterday in which police and prosecutors shared their experiences and ideas in tackling behaviour motivated by discrimination.
The Lord Advocate said: "Nobody wants a diverse Scotland to be blighted by a narrow-minded and hateful minority and our long-term goal is to eradicate such corrosive behaviour.
"This will not happen overnight and we need the public to assist us by reporting all hate crimes. They can have confidence that all such crimes will be investigated carefully and prosecuted robustly.
"Every man, woman and child has the right to live free from violence and without fear of humiliation, harassment or abuse, based on prejudice.
"The police and prosecution will work to change the culture of prejudice and hatred that exists in some quarters and to prosecute perpetrators robustly."
He said the introduction of legislation this month will help prosecute those who target people online.
The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 gives police and prosecutors additional tools to crack down on sectarian songs and abuse at and around football matches and threats posted on the internet or by post.
Hate crime refers to any offence motivated by racial or religious prejudice. It also covers any crime driven by prejudice against disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity. Steve Allen, deputy chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police, was jointly hosting the Biennial Conference on Hate Crime at Hampden in Glasgow.
Mr Allen said: "There are too many occasions when people are targeted because they are different, whether by race, faith, disability, gender or any other characteristic. We are determined to work alongside colleagues in the criminal justice system to do all in our power to prevent these crimes and to bring those who commit them to justice."This conference is an important part of that joint work and I am confident it will help drive our efforts forward."
