Hate crime.

[said]

Not really, hate crimes is a generic term for any separate crime that is motivated by hatred towards a protected group - the term being aggravated.

Racial discrimination is an offence under the equalities act, which but it is a civil rather than criminal offence.

Being racist, like being a paedophile, is entirely legal, as long as you don't commit a crime associated with it.

Surely then, the term 'hate crime' is ambiguous. A person can exhibit hate against another even if they do not belong to a protected group. A Muslim who shoots three white men was charged with 'hate crime' yet in a similar incident the shooter was charged with 'terrorism'.

Racial discrimination charges have been made by the Police authorities several times according to the media, so surely this is a criminal issue as opposed to civil where a private prosecution is brought?

[Hamble]

Albion was technically correct though sometime in the discussion the MEN reported what happened was being treated as a 'hate CRIME' because the victims were racially intimidated in their home.

At least we all agree what happened does touch a nerve in all of us.

[grassroots]

Albion was technically correct though sometime in the discussion the MEN reported what happened was being treated as a 'hate CRIME' because the victims were racially intimidated in their home.

At least we all agree what happened does touch a nerve in all of us.

Agree Albion was /is technically correct but . But when I saw those pics on the local news I felt sick that innocent people can be treated in such a disgusting way . No one regardless of colour or creed should have to bit put through that .

[said]

Seems this is the new name for racial discrimination and there has been a massive in recorded "hate crime" . What waste of oxygen goes around spraying slogans on people's windows and placing a banana on thier window fills , they should tracked down and incarcerated for a very long time .

I seem to remember someone from Southport emigrating to Greece and was threatened with a gun by someone who was opposed to immigrants.