Hate Crime

How do you report it?

Hate crimes and incidents can be reported to the police. However, should you not wish to report the incident to the Police there are third-party reporting schemes which allow victims to report hate crimes to the police anonymously via a third party such as a community group or website.  Any information you give at a Third Party Reporting Centre is confidential and anonymous if you prefer.  Information does not have to be shared; you can choose what information to give and who it is passed on to.

Why should you report it?

Experiencing hate crime can be a particularly frightening experience, as you have been targeted because of who you are, or who or what your attacker thinks you are. Unlike non-identity related offences, the attack is very personal and specifically targeted, which means it’s less likely to be a random attack.

You may feel embarrassed about raising an issue or feel that you don’t want to cause a fuss. However, it is important that hate crime is reported and dealt with appropriately to prevent an incident from escalating into something more serious.

Third party reporting and advice

• Victim- support 
• Support line
• New Pathways - Offers a range of counselling, advocacy and support services for women, men, children and young people affected by rape and sexual abuse. 
• Live Fear Free – If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse or sexual violence, Live Fear Free can help you find the support you need. Live Fear Free Helpline: 0808 8010 800. Email: info@livefearfreehelpline.wales
• True Vision 
• Stonewall CYMRU
• Gov.uk 
• Citizens Advice Bureau

Swansea University operates a zero tolerance policy to harassment and threatening or discriminatory behaviour of any kind.

There are several departments within the University who can help support you if you have experienced hate crime.

• Welfare@CampusLife – You can arrange to come and speak to one of our Student Life Officers who can help support you and provide advice and guidance on how to deal with hate crime.
• Student’s Union - 'SPEAK OUT' is a new initiative launched by Swansea Students' Union and our local Community Liaison Officer to tackle hate crime, with assistance from South Wales Police. The initiative is fully supported by the University and involved consultation from the Equal Opportunities Team.
• You can speak to someone in the Student’s Union advice and support centre or you can fill in the following form. 

• Wellbeing- Swansea University’s Wellbeing Service can offer students support such as, access to stress control course, self-help resources, group programmes, one off support sessions and counselling. You can contact Wellbeing by emailing wellbeingdisability@swansea.ac.uk

  You can request support by filling out their request form here.

Online hate is unfortunately a growing problem. This can be in words written online on social media posts or emails or website pages, or it can be pictures, videos or music. The balance between freedom of speech and hate crime can be difficult to find but it should be reported nonetheless. Social media platforms and websites will allow you to report any post but they can also be reported to third-party reporting schemes.

If you’ve experienced hate crime, remember that it's not your fault. However, there are things you can do that may help to reduce the risk of it happening again, and they may help you to feel that you’re getting your life back under control.

These are some of the things you could do:

• Improve your basic home security – for example by adding locks and bolts to doors and windows.
• Go one step further and install security equipment such as CCTV, video intercoms or panic buttons.
• Keep a note of all incidents related to the hate crime, including times, dates and details of what happened.
• Get someone to accompany you if you decide to report the crime to the police.

What should you do if you see hate crime occurring?

If you, or anyone you know, has been a victim of hate crime, then you should report this as a hate incident. Even if you don’t want the incident to be investigated, it is important that the police know about it, so that they can build up a picture of how many incidents are happening and where. This information can help police investigating other hate incidents.

Who can help you?

You can report a Hate Crime as follows:
Telephone (Emergency): 999
Telephone (Emergency): 101

In person: Any Police Station
Local victim care team: 0300 303 0161

Swansea Central Police Station
Grove Place, Swansea. SA1 5EA.
Open 8.00am - 2.00am, 7 days a week.

Neath Police Station
Gnoll Park Road, Neath. SA11 3BW.
Open 8.00am - 6.00pm, 7 days a week.