Hate Crime
Information on hate crimes and non-crime hate incidents. What you can do if you, or someone you know, is a victim.
Police Scotland has an important role in ensuring Scotland is a safe and welcoming country for all who live, work and visit here.
We are committed to fostering good relations in our communities, preventing hate crime and holding perpetrators to account.
We know it can be hard for people to report a hate crime and in some cases to even recognise they have been a victim. These events can have a significant impact on people, particularly those who may already be vulnerable.
Hate crime is the term used to describe behaviour which is both criminal and rooted in prejudice. This means the law has been broken and the offender’s actions were driven by hatred towards a particular characteristic.
A non-crime hate incident is any incident perceived by the victim, or any other person, to be motivated either entirely or partly by malice and ill-will towards a person or group based on the victim’s actual or perceived membership of one or more of the characteristics, but which does not constitute a criminal offence. Non-crime hate incidents are not recorded against the other party.
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act was implemented on 1 April 2024 and sends an important message to victims, offenders and wider society that hate crime will not be tolerated.
We want everyone targeted by hate crime, or those who witness it, to have confidence to come forward. They can be assured that they will be treated with dignity and respect and that the circumstances they report will be fully investigated.
Recording is victim-focused and the process has been part of policing for many years. It helps us monitor tensions within communities, enabling appropriate police responses and helps to build community confidence.
Find out more about different types of hate crime.
Police Scotland is committed to supporting Scotland’s communities in line with our values of integrity, fairness, respect and commitment to upholding human rights.
We urge anyone who has experienced or witnessed hate to report it.
Find out more about the different ways you can make a report.
