Dorothy Bain KC

In 2024-25, some 6,019 charges reported were categorised as involving age, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, transgender identity and variations in sex characteristics – or a combination of these. This represents a decrease of 1.2 per cent compared to 2023-24.

The annual report on hate crime in Scotland, published today, comes a year on from the introduction of controversial legislation which criminalised the stirring up of hatred and added to the aggravations recognised by law.

The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force on 1 April 2024. In its first year, 27 charges of stirring up racial hatred were reported, with 65 of stirring up hatred related to the other protected characteristics.

Charges related to disability hate crime showed the biggest increase in incidence, rising by 15 per cent since last year, to a total of 1,069 – the highest annual number since the aggravation was introduced in 2010.

Ms Bain said hate-fuelled crime continued to be a blight on Scotland’s communities and urged the public to report any incidents to the police. She said: “There is no room for complacency in our response to – and recognition of – hate crime.

“Last year, prosecutors at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service received reports with more than 6000 charges fuelled by hatred and targeted at people who are simply being themselves.

“Today’s publication highlights the shameful prejudice which persists and – in relation to those affected by disability – has been exposed in increasing numbers. Those of us who wish to live in a tolerant society find this abhorrent. Hate crime has hugely damaging effects on victims, their families and the wider community.

“COPFS will play its part in helping to make Scotland a safer place by prosecuting robustly those who victimise others through their own ignorance or bigotry.”

The largest number of hate crime charges related to race, with 3,357 or around 55 per cent of the total, while those connected to sexual orientation were the second most commonly reported.

However, the numbers of both have decreased since last year, racial hate crime by 2.2 per cent and charges related to sexual orientation by 8.7 per cent to 1,699 charges.

The figures show that charges connected to transgender identity remained little changed, with 86 in 2024-25, a decrease of one reported charge. This was around 1.4  per cent of the total charges.