Transphobic hate crimes in the UK up as much as 50% in some locations

Reported transphobic hate crime in the UK have risen at a staggering rate according to the figures released to the Press Association under the Freedom of Information Act.

Serge Nicholson, from the charity Galop reminds us that the number of reported hate crimes are but a fraction of the total crimes committed.

Eleven forces revealed they recorded more transphobic hate crimes between January and November than the whole of 2013, according to figures released to the Press Association under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Metropolitan Police, the country’s largest force, saw offences against transgender people soar by 44% in 2014 with 95 crimes recorded, up from 66 last year and 59 in 2012. But it’s not just the Met, Avon and Somerset Police recorded 38 transgender hate crimes between January and November, up from 22 in 2013 and 12 in 2012.

Meanwhile, Merseyside Police recorded 32 hate crimes that were as classed as transphobic or motivated by a person’s gender between January and November, double the number of offences reported in the previous year.

In Suffolk, where police have recorded 63 transphobic hate crimes since 2012, a group of children aged seven to nine verbally abused a transgender person, a rock was used to smash the sunroof of another victim’s car and an assault was carried out with a blunt object.

In South Yorkshire, where 16 transphobic hate crimes were recorded since 2012, a transgender person had a brick thrown at them in the street and another victim was punched in the face after having their wig and earrings pulled off.

Meanwhile, in Lincolnshire, where police have recorded 15 transphobic hate crimes since 2012, incidents included two people who were spat at and verbally abused for being transgender and another where transphobic graffiti was sprayed on a house.

Greater Manchester, South Wales, Durham, Kent, Norfolk, West Mercia Police, Northumbria and Gloucestershire police forces also saw transphobic hate crimes rise between January and November compared to last year.

Nottinghamshire Police – which provided figures covering both transgender hate crime and offences motivated by a person’s sexual orientation – recorded 67 offences between January and November, compared with 61 in 2013 and 47 in 2012.

And the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said eight transphobic hate crimes were recorded in 2013/14, up from six in 2012/13 and three in 2011/12

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