FOI 399-2023 / April 23 / Hate Crime
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 399-2023
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 13th April 2023 as follows:
The following questions are intended to examine the impact of the recent Law Commission report on Hate Crime, published 2021, on the way police forces record and report on crime.
As you will be aware, crimes aggravated by hostility based on sex are not currently treated as hate crimes under the criminal law.
Some police forces have, however, trialled recording crimes aggravated by hostility towards sex and gender, and in particular misogynistic crime. The Law Commission report, however, argued that sex and gender should not be added as protected characteristics for the purposes of aggravated offences and enhanced sentencing.
As such, please could you answer the following:
Q1. Do you keep a record of crimes aggravated by hostility towards sex or gender that are reported to (or discovered by) your force?
- Please note the reference to gender concerns cisgender identity, as crimes aggravated by hostility towards transgender identity are already captured under s.66(1) Sentencing Act 2020. References to gender in the below questions should also be read as references to cisgender identity.
Q2. If not:
- Have you ever done?
- Are there plans to do so in future?
Q3. Has the Law Commission’s 2021 report affected whether you collect this information? If so, how?
Q4. If Yes to question 1, please state:
- The number of crimes and incidents that were logged on your system as
aggravated by hostility towards sex or gender in 2020, 2021 and 2022 (please give two separate figures for each year- crimes and incidents)
- For those recorded as crimes, please give the nature of these offences (broken down by year and into crime categories, as defined by your force)
- Please also give the number of crimes logged that led to a:
(i) Caution
(ii) Criminal prosecution
(iii) Conviction
(Please give separate figures for each year)
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Q1 response: No.
Q2a & Q2b response: No information held.
Q3 response: No information held.
Q4 response: Not applicable
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible.
Your attention is drawn to the below which details your right of complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write or email the Freedom of Information Unit quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Unit
Warwickshire Police
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwickshire
CV35 7QB