Paula Fagan, CEO of LGBT Ireland, today welcomed the launch of the Hate Crime Reporting Website and the accompanying Hate Crime publicity campaign.
Speaking at the launch, on behalf of the Diversity Forum*, which was established to work with the National Garda Diversity and Integration Unit to support the implementation of the Garda Diversity and Integration Strategy, Paula said “those most likely to be targeted by perpetrators of hate crimes are members of minority communities, whose voices are often unheard, which has meant many of these crimes to date have gone unrecorded and unacknowledged by the state and wider society.”
It is hoped the initiatives launched today will make it easier and safer for people to self-report Hate Crimes to the Gardaí, to have their voices heard.
We all have a role to play in standing up against Hate, all crimes have a detrimental effect on victims, however, to be the victim of a hate crime is to be targeted for who you are, and this can have a deep and lasting psychological impact on the victim and can also have a chilling effect within communities. However, reporting a hate incident, receiving appropriate support, and seeing the perpetrator brought to justice can lessen the longer-term impact of the crime on the victim and their community and help to restore a sense of safety and protection.
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You can report a Hate Crime here: https://garda.ie/en/reportahatecrime/
*The Diversity Forum is made up of groups representing minority communities living in Ireland; LGBT Ireland, TENI, Immigrant Council of Ireland, Southside Travellers Group, the Interfaith Forum, Islam Ireland, Cavan Cross Cultural Community, Third Age, Sage Advocacy, and the Irish Criminal Justice and Disability Network.