What happens with you report anti-social behaviour: hate crime
Continuing our series on anti-social behaviour, we’re looking at hate crime – what to do if you experience it, and how we can support you.
Hate crime is when someone is hostile or prejudiced based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity. Hate crime can range from verbal abuse to physical assault and for those experiencing it can be very devastating.
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Incidents of hate crime in the country reduced last year by 5%
Incidents of hate crime in the country reduced last year by 5%, although religious hate crime increased by 25%, mainly due to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The majority of hate crime continues to be racially motivated. bpha is committed to supporting those suffering from hate crimes and working with the Police to take action against those causing hate crime.
If you experience a hate crime, it’s important to report it to the police, to keep a note of any incidents - and to record them if you’re able to. Please also let us know - we can give you guidance, and if the person targeting you is a bpha customer, we will speak with them and try to resolve the situation.
If it’s not a bpha customer, we’ll work with the police and other agencies – depending on the situation - to see how we can help.
We will provide what support we can in terms of recording information and steps such as installing CCTV – which proved vital in a recent case where this evidence was used in court.
Because hate crime is illegal, the police can take action and it’s possible that a prosecution will take place. When that happens, if the perpetrator is a bpha tenant, we may have grounds to pursue tenancy action against them. This can range from a court order to us taking back the property.
However, having someone charged and then getting a conviction relies on a number of things, including sufficient evidence. And factors - such as a defendant’s situation - also play a part.
But there are other options if the police aren’t able to bring charges. If there is no criminal case, it’s considered a civil matter. If it’s serious and continues to cause harm and distress, an option for us – if the perpetrator is a bpha customer - is to apply for an injunction.
An injunction is a civil court order that instructs someone to do, or stop doing, something. We work with the victim to build an evidence-based case and then present the case in court. An injunction applies for a set amount of time. Depending on the type of behaviour a judge can include ‘power of arrest’ – that means if the injunction is broken, the police can arrest the perpetrator.
An injunction is difficult to get and getting a possession order (an eviction) is even harder. It needs a lot of evidence and can take a very long time. However, it’s something we’re committed to doing.