Racial incident defined

What is a racist incident?

“A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.”
Sir William Macpherson – Steven Lawrence Inquiry Report 25 February 1999

Home Office definition

The definition of a racist incident that should be used by all agencies is that recommended by the Report of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.  The purpose of this definition is not to prejudge the question of whether a perpetrator's motive was racist or not: that may have to be proved if, for instance, the perpetrator is to be charged with a racially aggravated offence.   The purpose of the definition is rather to ensure that investigations take full account of the possibility of a racist dimension to the incident and that statistics of such incidents are collected on a uniform basis. Home Office Code of Practice on reporting and recording racist incidents in response to recommendation 15 of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report

RACIST/RELIGIOUS INCIDENTS

“.. any incident perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person”

“.. any incident that is perceived to be motivated by religion or faith by the victim or any other person”

This may be :

• THREATENING BEHAVIOUR
• PHYSICAL ASSAULT
• DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
• THREAT OF ASSAULT
• PHYSICAL ASSAULT
• WRITTEN ABUSE
• EMAIL ABUSE

RACIAL HARASSMENT

The Monitoring Group is a charitable organisation providing assistance and support to victims of racial harassment, and domestic violence. The following is taken from their website (www.monitoring-group.co.uk):

'RACIAL HARASSMENT' covers a range of acts that breach criminal and civil law. Although 'racial harassment' is not recognised by existing law, 'Harassment' is a criminal offence, and is punishable in certain circumstances. In addition, "incitement to racial hatred" is an offence under the Public Order Act, though this cannot at present be prosecuted without the consent of the Attorney General. Nowhere in law are the two aspects of harassment clearly brought together.

Racial harassment can occur in a number of ways for example:

• unprovoked assaults including common assault; actual bodily harm, and grievous bodily harm
• damage to property including breaking windows, doors and fences and within the perimeter of the house
• the daubing of slogans and/or graffiti and or graffiti of a racial nature within the proximity of the perimeter of the house concerned
• the insertion of rags, paper, rubbish and/or any material which can be and/or has been set alight through openings. or within the perimeter of the property concerned
• the insertion of excrement, eggs, paint, faeces, rubbish and/or other noxious and/or offensive substances through an opening in the house concerned or within its perimeter
• the sending of threatening and/or abusive telephone cals of a racial nature, verbal racial abuse
• threatening or abusive behaviour including spitting
• participation in any activity which is calculated to deter the person from occupying a particular property
• attempted murder or murder

PARINS comments: the majority of racist/religious incidents go unreported. This prevents effective action being taken against perpetrators. Only a minority of incidents lead to a perpetrator receiving a summons to attend a magistrates or crown court. This does not mean that nothing can be done or that victims should suffer in silence. Please report all racist incidents, even those that may not seem serious. Often PARINS can help and your report will help us to know where problem areas are and help us to help others to improve services to deal with racist/religious incidents.