LGBTI equality project to encourage hate crime reports in rural Scotland

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has announced a major new project to increase reporting rates of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) hate crime.

The community-led project, to be delivered by theEquality Network and LGBT Youth Scotland as part of a Britain-wide project managed by theLGBT Consortium, aims to empower LGBTI people to stand up against hate crime.

It will focus particularly on rural areas where reporting is traditionally low and provide information, build strong partnerships, and improve assistance and support for those affected.

Areas of work include:

Kaliani Lyle, Equality and Human Rights Commissioner for Scotland, said: “Everyone should feel confident and sufficiently empowered to recognise and report incidents of hatred, hostility and harassment and yet we know that for LGBTI people this is very often not the case.

“It is difficult to tackle crimes that aren’t reported. Therefore, addressing under-reporting is crucial to the broader aim of reducing these incidents and creating a fairer and safer society.”

Tim Hopkins, director of the Equality Network, added: “Our research shows that hate crime is one of the top concerns for LGBTI people in Scotland, with two thirds having experienced verbal abuse, and one in six physical attack.

“We welcome the funding from the Equality and Human Rights Commission for this vital work. The project will help people access support after a hate incident, and aims to ensure that the authorities deal with incidents effectively.”