What is a Hate Crime?
A hate crime is any criminal offence targeted against a person because of hostility or prejudice towards their disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender identity
Hate crime is unacceptable under any circumstances and the University would highly encourage anyone who is the victim of or witnesses a hate crime to come forward. Hate crimes can include:
- threatening behaviour
- assault
- robbery
- damage to property
- inciting others to commit hate crimes
- harassment
The University takes a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, harassment and bullying, and all employees, workers, contractors, students and visitors are expected to be treated and to treat each other, with dignity and respect.
The University has three Third-Party Hate Crime reporting centres:
What is a Third-Party Reporting Centre?
The University has three Third Party Hate Crime Reporting Centres which include the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Office, Herts SU Advice and Support Centre and the Dean of Students. The centres can support you to report the incident, provide confidential advice and support and can be a contact for those who do not wish to report directly to the police. You can remain anonymous if you wish, and you don’t need to have contact with the police if you don’t want to. The three centres work in partnership with the Hertfordshire Constabulary Hate Crime Officers to provide a coordinated response to hate crime.
Why should you report a Hate Crime?
By reporting incidents, you can get the support you may need and help ensure that offenders are brought to justice and cannot do the same to other people. You will also enable the police to build up patterns of behaviour locally and highlight areas of concern within Hertfordshire. Research consistently shows that hate crimes and incidents are more under-reported than other crime. Many people, for a variety of reasons, are reluctant to report crime directly to the police and third-party reporting is a way to overcome this.
How to report a Hate Crime?
If you are a victim of or witness a hate crime, please contact one of the University's third-party reporting centres in the first instance for support with reporting and the next steps.
You can either arrange to speak to a Dignity and Respect Adviser who can talk it through with you and discuss your options OR you can report it through the Report and Support System and an adviser from the Dean of Students will be in touch
