New figures released by the British Transport Police indicate that hate crimes committed on public transport have skyrocketed in recent years. Reports of race-related crimes are up 37% on railway networks since 2010, according to the Guardian this morning – meaning that more than five incidents take place each day.
Other findings from the data, which was released after a freedom of information request was filed, suggest that suspects involved in attacks tend predominantly to be white; 73% of suspects were of white ethnicity in incidents reported in 2015, while black suspects accounted for 17% of incidents the same year, reports the Guardian.
The news follows other troubling statistics released this week in conjunction with Holocaust Memorial Day, that claimed almost one in four Britons had witnessed what they believed to be a racially motivated hate crime over the last year. According to the BBC, the same poll found 61% of participants said no-one intervened while the incident was happening.
Karen Bradley, minister for preventing abuse and exploitation told the Guardian: “We already have in place one of the strongest legislative frameworks in the world to protect communities from hostility, violence and bigotry. But we are not complacent. That is why we will publish a comprehensive new Cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan shortly to drive forward action against hate crime including crimes that occur on public transport. We are working in partnership with communities to ensure we target the harm that hate crime causes and with the police and the CPS on how we can bring the perpetrators of hate crime to justice.”
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