Hate crime figures fall but disability attacks reach record high
Statistics from the Scottish Government reveal that despite a fall in nearly all categories, hate crimes recorded against disabled people have surged to record levels.
The statistics are the first to include crimes under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, which came into force on April 1 last year.
Overall, there were 6019 hate crimes recorded in 2024-25 – down 1.2% on the year before.
But charges aggravated by disability rose by 15% to 1069 – the highest annual number recorded since the legislation creating the aggravation came into force in 2010.
Recorded hate crimes against disabled people have risen consistently since the start of the last decade.
READ MORE: Scottish council rejects plans for huge 1000-home development with pub and park
Race continued to be the most commonly reported hate crime in Scotland, with 3357 such charges being recorded over the last year.
The figure, accounting for 55% of hate crimes, represents a decrease of 2.2% compared to the year before.
Hate crimes over sexual orientation, the second most common type, decreased by 8.7% to 1699 – the lowest number of charges since 2020.
Religious hate crime charges also decreased by 5.1% to 505, the lowest annual number since 2004.
Hate crime charges against transgender people were down by one to 86.
There were 88 charges related to age and 13 related to variations in sex characteristics, both of which are new aggravators included in the Hate Crime Act.
There were 27 charges of stirring up hatred relating to race and another 65 for stirring up hatred against 'other protected characteristics' – both new charges under the Act.
The Lord Advocate, Scotland's top law officer, urged the public to be vigilant over hate crime.
(Image: PA)
Dorothy Bain KC (above) said hate-fuelled crime continued to be a blight on Scotland's communities and urged the public to report any incidents to the police.
She said: 'There is no room for complacency in our response to – and recognition of – hate crime.
'Last year, prosecutors at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) received reports with more than 6,000 charges fuelled by hatred and targeted at people who are simply being themselves.
'Today's publication highlights the shameful prejudice which persists and – in relation to those affected by disability – has been exposed in increasing numbers.
READ MORE: Scottish fishing body accuses David Attenborough of 'propaganda' over new film
'Those of us who wish to live in a tolerant society find this abhorrent. Hate crime has hugely damaging effects on victims, their families and the wider community.
'COPFS will play its part in helping to make Scotland a safer place by prosecuting robustly those who victimise others through their own ignorance or bigotry.'
Scottish Conservative Tory MSP Liam Kerr said: 'These figures reveal Humza Yousaf's Hate Crime Act for what it is – a completely unnecessary law that's a drain on police resources.
'We repeatedly warned that this bad law was unworkable and would lead to the police having to deal with a slew of spurious complaints.
'The relatively small number of charges being brought appears to bear this out.
'Instead of asking the police to continually enforce flawed legislation, SNP ministers should prioritise funding our police force so they can properly keep our communities safe.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edinburgh Live
18 minutes ago
- Edinburgh Live
Family of Edinburgh man who took took his own life 'still waiting for answers'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The family of an Edinburgh man have hit out at a probe into his death, after the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) 'failed him'. Kevin Sutherland was 34-year-old when he posted on social media that he was about to die, while at the Forth Bridges. In 2022 he gave evidence to the SCAI, revealing repeated sexual and physical abuse while in care. He signed an anonymity waiver, though later regretted it. Despite his pleas for it to be removed, it never was - and Kevin blamed the inquiry in his final social media post, reports the Daily Record. His body has never been recovered. Kevin's sister, Melanie Watson, said his family remained angry about his treatment and had lost faith in the independence of the review set up to probe his death. They blame Lady Smith for refusing his plea for anonymity and say she should have no role in the probe into Kevin's death. And they say they have had no contact to explain any progress. Melanie said: "It's seven months since we lost Kevin, and five since Jason Beer KC was put in charge of this supposedly independent review into the circumstances that ended with his death but, short of a letter introducing himself, we've heard nothing. "We assumed a review would start with the people who knew him best and they might want to meet us. If they are doing any work at all on this, who are they speaking to? They are not speaking to us." Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox She said the family were further distressed by the final paragraph in the terms of reference for Beer's review. She said: "It's supposed to be independent of the inquiry, so why does the chair expect to see the report before it is finalised? How is that independent?" Melanie added: "The inquiry knew Kevin was damaged, very vulnerable and unstable. "We cannot understand why they rejected his plea. The fact he went back to them three times must have underlined how important it was to him. By the end he was pleading with them. Why would you refuse someone so desperate?" Melanie acknowledges Kevin's body might never be found, but they will continue to fight for some form of justice. After his death, Lady Smith faced calls to stand down from experts on abuse and trauma who had helped the Scottish Government develop a trauma-informed approach in previous inquiries into child sexual abuse. (Image: Dave Johnston) Anne Macdonald and Sarah Nelson, who have since died, had extensive experience of working with adult survivors, and were among those to denounce the inquiry's "disgraceful" decision. Beer has also been instructed in Scotland's other long-running inquiry into the death in police custody of Sheku Bayoh in Kirkcaldy 10 years ago. He said: "One of my first actions was to make contact with Mr Sutherland's family to explain how I was going to conduct the independent review and invite them to send me evidence or information they felt relevant." He added Melanie replied on February 26. He said: "Ms Watson's reply set out further personal and sensitive information about Mr Sutherland. I did not receive any further replies to my requests for information." Asked whether Lady Smith's expectation to see a draft of the report could be seen as compromising his independence, he said: "I do not think it is appropriate to comment on the mechanics of the independent review whilst it is being conducted." Giles Moffat, chair of the group of survivors from Edinburgh Academy which has featured prominently in the inquiry, said: "It's not fair for the legal team to put the onus on the family of the victim. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages "The legal team is being paid to investigate. Clearly, the family expected closure and more personal contact. In my own case, I got in touch with them unprompted and provided information and explained I had spoken at length to Kevin about five times. I fully expected they would be in touch but five months on, nothing. "Where is the urgency to explain to a family why this young man died?" He was not surprised Lady Smith and the inquiry wanted first sight of the KC's findings. He said: "To describe it as a draft suggests they reserve the right to change things, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence." The SCAI said it had commissioned the review to consider all aspects of its interactions with Mr Sutherland, adding: "It would be inappropriate to comment." The SCAI has been running for over a decade and had cost the taxpayer £95.3million by March 31 this year. If you've been affected by the content in this story you can find help from The Samaritans.
Glasgow Times
21 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Man accused of faking death and fleeing US to avoid rape charges goes on trial
The man known in the US as Nicholas Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Utah in 2008. Prosecutors are trying the cases separately, with the first set in Salt Lake County. Nicholas Rossi appeared in court in Salt Lake City in a wheelchair and wearing an oxygen supply (Firecrest Films via AP, Pool) Rossi, 38, was extradited from Scotland to the US in January 2024 after a lengthy case in the Scottish courts. He came to the attention of authorities when he was identified at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow in December 2021 while being treated for Covid-19 under the name Arthur Knight. He was arrested after being identified by his distinctive tattoos as a person the US authorities wanted to extradite, but claimed this was a case of mistaken identity. Months of court proceedings in Edinburgh followed but in November 2022, Sheriff Norman McFadyen determined the man claiming to be Knight was indeed Rossi. An extradition hearing took place in June 2023, with Sheriff McFadyen ruling there was no barrier to Rossi's extradition. In his Scottish hearings, Rossi would appear in a wheelchair and sometimes with an oxygen mask. An extradition warrant was signed in September 2023 and Rossi was finally sent to the US in January 2024. Prosecutors in the US say they have identified at least a dozen aliases Rossi used over the years to evade capture. Rossi appeared in court on Monday in a wheelchair, wearing a suit and tie and using an oxygen tank. The alleged victim identified him from the witness box, saying he is 'a little bit heavier, a little bit older' but mostly looks the same. District Judge Barry Lawrence helped clarify for the jury some of the twists and turns of the case, explaining that different people may refer to Rossi by different names. The defence and prosecution agreed it is factual that Rossi was in Utah in 2008 and had a relationship with the alleged victim that year. Prosecutors painted a picture of an intelligent man who used his charm to take advantage of a vulnerable young woman. He raped her when she pushed back against his attempts to control her, deputy Salt Lake County district attorney Brandon Simmons alleged. The woman, who the judge asked not be identified publicly, described a whirlwind relationship with Rossi that began in November 2008 while she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury. The two began dating after she responded to a personal ad Rossi posted on Craigslist and were engaged within about two weeks. The woman described being asked to pay for their dates, cover Rossi's rent so he would not be evicted from his apartment and take on debt to buy their engagement rings. Then, the relationship spiralled quickly, with Rossi 'becoming controlling and saying mean things to me', she alleged. The couple got into a fight in which Rossi pounded on her car and used his body to block her from pulling out of the parking garage, she alleged. She finally let him inside and drove him home but said she had no plans of continuing a relationship. She agreed to go into his house to talk, but he instead pushed her on to his bed, held her down and 'forced me to have sex with him', she alleged. Nicholas Rossi departs Edinburgh Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Court after his extradition hearing (PA) The woman described lying still, paralysed with fear. 'I was a little bit more of a timid person back then, and so it was harder for me to stand up for myself,' she said. Dismissive comments from her parents convinced her not to go to the police at the time, she said. She did, however, try to bring Rossi to small claims court over the engagement rings but dropped the case. Rossi's lawyers sought to convince the jury that the alleged victim built up years of resentment after Rossi made her foot the bill for everything in their month-long relationship, and accused him of rape to get back at him a decade later when she saw him in the news. Rossi will also stand trial in September over another rape charge in Utah County. Rossi grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island and had returned to the state before allegedly faking his death. An obituary published online claimed he died on February 29 2020 of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. State police, along with Rossi's former lawyer and a former foster family, cast doubt on whether he was dead. A year later, hospital staff in Scotland recognised his tattoos from an Interpol notice and alerted authorities. He was extradited to Utah in January 2024. 'This case is like an old puzzle from the thrift store,' said MacKenzie Potter, one of Rossi's lawyers. 'It's 13 years old, not all the pieces are there, some pieces are from a different puzzle. And when you start going through everything, you're not going to get a complete picture.' Prosecutors pushed back, saying that if any 'puzzle pieces' are missing, it is because Rossi's lawyers fought to have some evidence dismissed.
Glasgow Times
22 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Sturgeon: Salmond happier for SNP to be destroyed than succeed without him
In her memoir, Frankly, the former first minister said she had come to the realisation that her former friend and mentor 'wanted to destroy me'. She said her relationship with the late politician began to deteriorate as soon as she became leader of Scotland. Mr Salmond, who died last year, quit as SNP leader and first minister in 2014 after the Scottish independence referendum. Alex Salmond stood down as first minister in 2014 (Ben Curtis/PA) Ms Sturgeon also claims in her book that Mr Salmond had admitted to her that the 'substance' of one of the sexual harassment complaints had been true. The former Alba Party leader was acquitted of all charges relating to the allegations at court in 2020, while a judicial review found the Scottish Government's own investigation of him was tainted with apparent bias. Ms Sturgeon said her former mentor had created a conspiracy theory about Scotland's core democratic institutions to shield himself from accountability. She said Mr Salmond never produced a 'shred of evidence' to support these claims. She accused him of trying to 'distort' and 'weaponise' the trauma of victims. In her book, which was on sale in some places ahead of schedule on Monday, she said: 'In his (Salmond's) efforts to turn himself into the wronged person, he demonstrated that nothing and no one was sacrosanct for him. 'There was never the merest hint of concern about the damage he did to the party he previously led. 'Indeed, it felt to me that he would have rather destroyed the SNP than see it succeed without him.' She accused her former boss of having 'impugned the integrity' of the institutions 'at the heart of Scottish democracy', including the Government, Police Scotland and Crown Office. In 2020 Alex Salmond was cleared by a court of sexually assaulting nine women while first minister (Andrew Milligan/PA) She went on: 'The fact that he never produced a shred of credible evidence that a conspiracy existed, because it didn't, wasn't enough to stop him seeking to damage the reputation of these institutions and shatter the morale of those who worked in them. 'He was prepared to traumatise, time and again, the women at the centre of it all. 'A jury concluded that what they experienced wasn't criminal, but that does not mean those experiences didn't happen. 'Even if he never said so explicitly, he was accusing them of being liars, of making it all up.' The former SNP leader said Mr Salmond had made his former allies and SNP colleagues 'mortal enemies' in the fallout over misconduct claims against him. Nicola Sturgeon said that to Alex Salmond she became 'public enemy number one' (Robert Perry/PA) 'In that regard,' she wrote, 'I was clearly public enemy number one. For a while, I told myself that the bonds between us would be stronger than his thirst for revenge. 'Eventually, though, I had to face the fact that he was determined to destroy me. 'I was now engaged in mortal political combat with someone I knew to be both ruthless and highly effective. 'It was a difficult reality to reconcile myself to. 'So too was losing him as a friend. I went through what I can only describe as a grieving process. 'For a time after we stopped speaking, I would have conversations with him in my head about politics and the issues of the day. 'I had occasional, but always vivid, dreams in which we were still on good terms. I would wake up from these feeling utterly bereft.' Alba Party leader Kenny MacAskill said: 'It is Nicola Sturgeon who has demeaned the office of First Minister and who has been shown to be without shame or honour in besmirching a man now dead. 'Alex Salmond was acquitted on all charges and it was Sturgeon's government which was found to have acted unlawfully unfairly and tainted with apparent bias. 'The break in friendship came from her when she turned on her mentor who had made her politically. 'Shamefully she continued to do so even when he is dead.'
