We've put together information below about hate crimes and hate incidents, including how to recognise them, report them, and access help, support and advice.

A crime that the victim or any other person perceives to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards any aspect of a person’s identity.

Any incident, which may or not be a crime that the victim or any other person perceives to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards any aspect of a person’s identity.

  • Disability
  • Religion or belief
  • Race or ethnicity
  • Sexual orientation
  • Transgender identity

Anyone can be a victim of hate crime.

  • Verbal abuse like name-calling and offensive jokes
  • Harassment
  • Bullying or intimidation by children, adults, neighbours or strangers
  • Physical attacks such as hitting, punching, pushing, spitting
  • Threats of violence
  • Hoax calls, abusive phone or text messages, hate mail
  • Online abuse for example on Facebook or Twitter
  • Displaying or circulating discriminatory literature or posters
  • Harm or damage to things such as your home, pet, vehicle
  • Graffiti
  • Arson
  • Throwing rubbish into a garden
  • Malicious complaints for example over parking, smells or noise.

Every hate incident or crime should be reported to the police.

Even though at first the victim may feel they don’t want to waste police time, they should still report any incident perceived to be hate related.

Even if they just want the matter logged this helps the police build up an accurate local and national picture of tensions in the community.

The police can give advice of the best course of action.

Victims don’t need to worry about whether it is a hate incident or crime. For example something could start out as just name calling which may be an incident however a Police Officer could decide that it is in fact a crime of harassment, malicious communication, etc.

For non-emergenices, call 101

In an emergency, call 999

You can also report it online with South Wales Police.

True Vision

Victim support

Victim Focus For Hate Crimes
0300 30 31 982
Victim Focus – 0300 303 0161

Disability hate crime support

Mencap
0808 8000 300

Sight life
029 2039 890

Scope
0808 800 3333

Transgender and sexual orientation hate crime support

Umbrella Cymru
0300 302 3670

Pride Cymru

Racial and religious hate crime support

Race Equality First
029 2048 6207

Welsh Refugee Council  08081967273

Diverse Cymru
029 2036 8888

B.A.W.S.O. (Domestic Violence Organisation for Black & Ethnic Minority Women)
0800 7318147

M.E.W.N. (Minority Ethnic Women’s Network)
Cardiff 029 2046 4445

Women Connect First

General support services

Advocacy Matters Wales
029 202 33733

Safer Wales

Hate Hurts Wales
0300 3031 982

MIND
0300 102 1234

Crime Stoppers
0800 555 111