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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/27/disabled-lives-law-hate-crime
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| Disabled lives matter. We need to toughen the law on disability hate crime | Disabled lives matter. We need to toughen the law on disability hate crime |
| (25 days later) | |
| Two incidents have occurred in the last seven days to highlight the fact that the rise of hatred, which I have campaigned against for eight years, needs greater attention in a specific area. | Two incidents have occurred in the last seven days to highlight the fact that the rise of hatred, which I have campaigned against for eight years, needs greater attention in a specific area. |
| The first was the accidental shooting in Miami of a care worker, Charles Kinsey, while he was attempting to calm an autistic man who was sitting in the road playing with a toy truck. As Kinsey reassured him, and as he was lying down with his hands in the air, the attending police officer shot Kinsey in the leg. Kinsey explained later that he believed the intended target of the police officer’s bullet was the autistic man in his care. | The first was the accidental shooting in Miami of a care worker, Charles Kinsey, while he was attempting to calm an autistic man who was sitting in the road playing with a toy truck. As Kinsey reassured him, and as he was lying down with his hands in the air, the attending police officer shot Kinsey in the leg. Kinsey explained later that he believed the intended target of the police officer’s bullet was the autistic man in his care. |
| In Japan this week the murder of 19 learning-disabled people at the Sagamihara care home was committed, in the words of the killer, in order to “euthanise” them for their disability. After committing multiple murders of innocent people, the 26-year-old former care worker at the home told police: “It is better that disabled people disappear.” | In Japan this week the murder of 19 learning-disabled people at the Sagamihara care home was committed, in the words of the killer, in order to “euthanise” them for their disability. After committing multiple murders of innocent people, the 26-year-old former care worker at the home told police: “It is better that disabled people disappear.” |
| In these incidents, disabled people were targeted precisely because of their disability. The second incident most definitely constitutes a disability hate crime. Yet this isn’t how it’s being reported. | In these incidents, disabled people were targeted precisely because of their disability. The second incident most definitely constitutes a disability hate crime. Yet this isn’t how it’s being reported. |
| In 2011 the Guardian’s data blog put in a freedom-of-information request to source the figures of reported disability hate crimes in England and Wales, and discovered that while there were almost 1,800 recorded incidents of disability hate crime, the highest level since records began, only 523 of these had resulted in convictions for that offence. | In 2011 the Guardian’s data blog put in a freedom-of-information request to source the figures of reported disability hate crimes in England and Wales, and discovered that while there were almost 1,800 recorded incidents of disability hate crime, the highest level since records began, only 523 of these had resulted in convictions for that offence. |
| Also deeply concerning has been the exponential rise in hate crimes across the UK since the Brexit vote, a phenomenon that has been widely and rightly documented. | Also deeply concerning has been the exponential rise in hate crimes across the UK since the Brexit vote, a phenomenon that has been widely and rightly documented. |
| Currently UK hate crime legislation fails to include disabled people, in the same way as it does other targeted people. In fact in 2013, when a review was commissioned into whether hate crime legislation should be extended, it was concluded that it should not be updated to apply to disabled people. | Currently UK hate crime legislation fails to include disabled people, in the same way as it does other targeted people. In fact in 2013, when a review was commissioned into whether hate crime legislation should be extended, it was concluded that it should not be updated to apply to disabled people. |
| The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does have a policy that addresses the abuse of disabled people, but without the additional strength of laws around hate crime and hate speech. Policy is the lowest form of enforcement, and is also open to interpretation. | The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does have a policy that addresses the abuse of disabled people, but without the additional strength of laws around hate crime and hate speech. Policy is the lowest form of enforcement, and is also open to interpretation. |
| This is why I am calling for the laws surrounding hate crime to be amended to include disabled people. A simplification in terms of the law will give greater clarity and reassurance to those who are targeted that they will benefit from the protection of the law. | This is why I am calling for the laws surrounding hate crime to be amended to include disabled people. A simplification in terms of the law will give greater clarity and reassurance to those who are targeted that they will benefit from the protection of the law. |
| Without the robust framework of legislation, disabled people can’t have a guarantee that enduring a disability hate crime will lead to enforcement action. And without this clarity under law, the media won’t be reporting the murder of 19 learning-disabled people in Japan as the hate crime it truly is. | Without the robust framework of legislation, disabled people can’t have a guarantee that enduring a disability hate crime will lead to enforcement action. And without this clarity under law, the media won’t be reporting the murder of 19 learning-disabled people in Japan as the hate crime it truly is. |
| I’ve campaigned for years for a change in attitude towards people with disabilities. With austerity cuts eroding the systems and structures on which we all depend, I’ve actually seen a hardening in attitudes towards disabled people. Any one of us could become disabled at any time. We need to commit to not only recognising and decrying the rising hate crime around us but actively to contributing to change our society for the benefit of all. | I’ve campaigned for years for a change in attitude towards people with disabilities. With austerity cuts eroding the systems and structures on which we all depend, I’ve actually seen a hardening in attitudes towards disabled people. Any one of us could become disabled at any time. We need to commit to not only recognising and decrying the rising hate crime around us but actively to contributing to change our society for the benefit of all. |
| So today I’ve started a petition. It’s calling for the UK government to include disabled people under current UK hate crime legislation, because disabled lives matter. In life, and death, we need to see a change in attitudes toward the more than 10 million people who live in this country who experience hatred routinely for something that they can’t help. This will come about only through legislation as a direct deterrent. | So today I’ve started a petition. It’s calling for the UK government to include disabled people under current UK hate crime legislation, because disabled lives matter. In life, and death, we need to see a change in attitudes toward the more than 10 million people who live in this country who experience hatred routinely for something that they can’t help. This will come about only through legislation as a direct deterrent. |
| • This article was amended on 29 July 2016 to clarify that strictly speaking policy is not the only means of enforcement against disability hate crime. Section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act makes hostility based on disability a basis for an increase in sentence. | • This article was amended on 29 July 2016 to clarify that strictly speaking policy is not the only means of enforcement against disability hate crime. Section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act makes hostility based on disability a basis for an increase in sentence. |