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‘Shameful’ figures reveal a shocking rise in Disability Hate Crime which has been attributed to 'social media and austerity.'

 

Learning Disability Charity, United Response found that more than 6,000 incidents were reported in 2018/19 in England and Wales with fewer people being charged or prosecuted for their crimes.

The types of incidents reported include assault, harassment, stalking and malicious communications.

 

Joanne Silkstone, from United Response, said: “The hard facts are that more and more people with learning disabilities or autism are being subjected to criminal harm and a smaller proportion of those responsible are being given the punishment they deserve.”

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It has been suggested that the rise in reports could be attributed to 'high standards' in crime recording. But full-time staff member at Liverpool-based charity, MOWLL (Moving On With Life and Learning), Etta Essery disagrees.

 

She said: “Austerity is a major issue which has yet again, scapegoated people with disabilities as 'scroungers' or worse.”

 

Austerity measures include things like tax increases and spending cuts that the government impose to reduce their budget deficit. But often it hits the poorest and most vulnerable in society the hardest. 

 

Earlier this year, a United Nations (UN) report blamed austerity measures and "hostile environment" government policies for the rise in the spread of the hate across the UK.

 

The latest statistics from Merseyside Police show that reports of hate crime against the disabled have rapidly increased from 67 in 2013 to 233 in 2018. 

 

The charity MOWLL was founded in 1988 and every year, remembers one of their self-advocates, Gary Skelly who was murdered in 2010 in a disability hate related incident. And Etta thinks there are more reasons behind the recent influx. 

She said: "Hate crime has a lot to with the continued negative and stereotypical images on social media which leads to a rise in abusive language targeting vulnerable and minority groups."

                                            A recent survey conducted by health and welfare charity, Leonard Cheshire, found that                                                 out of 1,647 disabled adults, a third had experienced hostile behaviour online or via a                                                   messaging app.

                                            Although numbers are increasing, United Response still say many disability crimes go                                                   unreported. 

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                                            Joanne Silkstone maintains that the figures are 'deeply worrying.'

 

                                           

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