Welcome to True Vision for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers
This page will give you information on how to report a hate crime, what happens when you do and some of the support that is available in Gypsies, Roma and Travellers if you have been a victim of hate crime.
On this page we use the term ‘hate crime’ to describe anything that happens to you because someone dislikes who you are.
What is a hate crime?
A hate crimes and incidents could be:
- Name calling
- Hitting and punching,
- Refusal to serve you or provide a service (in a pub, or shop for example)
- Being made fun of
- Bullying
- Being frightened by someone
- Having your things stolen or damaged
Hate crimes can happen because of your:
Race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender Identity, disability - including learning disability, physical disability and mental health
How can I report a hate crime?
You can report a hate crime directly to the police by;
- visiting your local station,
- calling 101 in a non emergency
- always call 999 in an emergency.
Reporting online.
If you want to make a report online, you can use the True Vision online reporting form, which will be delivered to your local Police Service: click here to go to the form
You can also report a hate crime that has happened to someone else, for example a friend or family member, or something that you have seen online or on social media.
What happens if I report a hate crime to the Police?
The Police and other criminal justice agencies consider all hate crime to be very serious, including racist and religious hate crime. When a case is prosecuted, the courts can impose a stronger sentence under powers from the Criminal Justice Act 2003. This reflects the priority placed on these crimes. The Police have performance targets and measures in place to ensure the service they offer is of the highest standard.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the organisation that takes cases through the court system. They have produced guidance on Racist and Religious Hate Crime that is available on the 'Prosecuting hate crimes' page of this website.
Cultural Awareness
Our partners at the charity, Friends, Families and Travellers have produced a training programme to help raise awareness of Gypsy and Traveller lifestyles and to dispel some of the myths and stereotypes that still exist. You can find details of the training here.
