Race hate crimes in NI highest since records began

Belfast Telegraph

15-05-2025

anti-immigrant disorder broke out in Belfast, saw a particularly significant increase in racially-motivated crimes.
Official statistics from the police published today shows that there were 454 more race incidents and 349 more race crimes recorded in comparison to the previous year.
There were 1,807 race incidents and 1,188 race crimes documented in the 12 months from 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025.
These are the highest financial year levels recorded since the data series began in 2004/05.
The 349 race incidents recorded in August 2024 was the single highest monthly level in the data series, around twice the previous monthly high of 171 recorded in July 2024.
Incidents reported to police that month were also more than four times the level seen the previous August.
The disorder which broke out in August, followed the Southport attack in which three young children were stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
Online speculation led to false rumours the attacker was an asylum seeker and right-wing violence broke out after a vigil for the victims.
Trouble spread to Belfast, where there were attacks on businesses and homes following an anti-immigration protest organised by loyalists at Belfast City Hall.
More than 20 individuals were arrested in connection with the ensuing violence.
Belfast City policing district which, between April 2024 and March 2025, accounted for around half of all race incidents and crimes recorded in Northern Ireland, showed an increase in incidents (271) and crimes (224).
Hate crime is defined as any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic - in this case, race.
The PSNI states that not all hate motivated incidents will result in the recording of a crime, as what has occurred in the incident may not be of the level of severity that would result in a notifiable offence being recorded.
'Where crimes with a hate motivation are recorded they are classified according to the Home Office Counting Rules and form a subset of the overall police recorded crime statistics,' the PSNI ruls state.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, there were more race and faith/religion hate incidents when compared with the previous twelve months.
Crimes with a race hate motivation saw the largest increase, with a smaller increase seen in faith/religion crimes.
Sectarian crimes saw the largest decrease, with smaller decreases in sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity crimes.
Six of the eight highest monthly levels of race incidents in the data series were recorded between May and October 2024.
There was a decrease of 181 sectarian incidents, while the number of crimes fell by 142.
Incidents and crimes related to sexual orientation decreased, with incidents falling from 384 and 362 and crimes from 241 t 219.
Disability-related incidents also declined, dropping from 97 to 68, while related crimes fell from 57 to 40.
In contrast, faith and religion-related incidents rose from 77 to 87, with associated crimes increasing from 48 to 65.
Transgender identity-related incidents saw a slight decrease from 68 to 63, while crimes dropped from 41 to 35.