Those who questioned the law on hate crimes towards minority groups might be interested in the discussion on tonight's 'One Show', after the first feature about the growing racism against Polish people:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07vw606
It clarifies that a hate crime takes place if any hostile or prejudicial behaviour towards a person is believed by the victim, a witness or both to be as a result of:
- A persons (mental or physical) disability.
- A persons race or ethnicity.
- A persons religion or belief.
- A persons sexual orientation.
- A persons transgender identity.
Over 80% of reports end in prosecution as a result of this self defined crime.
I think that the term 'Social orientation' could be problematic from something we were told at a conference many years ago.
Many years before minority groups gained legal protection, some local authorities adopted 'equal opportunity' policies.
In one case a man was dismissed after it was discovered that he was a paedophile.
He argued that he should not be dismissed as paedophilia was his sexual orientation and, consequently, this action was acting against their own equal opportunities policy!
I can see why they use the term, as it conveniently encompasses all the minority sexualities together; but doing this may be problematic.
I imagine that a lot of adults would be hostile and prejudicial towards someone found guilty of paedophilic activity; could they be found guilty of a hate crime for doing so?
As the law stands i'd say yes, which seems ridiculous (I'm not talking about cases where people have been physically violent towards people or property).