Hate crime coordinators network

Each quarter, our network of hate crime coordinators from around the country meet to discuss how they are managing hate crime cases in their local areas, and their engagement with communities. 

These meetings are a really important mechanism to support our policy making processes at the CPS. They allow us to harness operational insights and help us build expertise and peer support among our specialist prosecutors.

At the December meeting, coordinators discussed disability hate crime focusing on disabled victims’ experiences, casework challenges and CPS prosecution guidance on disability hate crime. Attendees acknowledged that while the rate of sentence uplifts has improved, disability hate crime continues to be underreported. Joint working with the police therefore remains vital to increasing referrals and prosecution volumes.

The March meeting included a discussion of transphobic hate crime. Our CPS Speak Out Champion, Sophie Cook, spoke about her work championing transgender rights and lived experience of transphobic hate crime - particularly online. Sophie highlighted the serious impact that transphobic hate crimes have on victims’ mental health, and the impact on the wider community of high-profile transphobic crimes. Sophie welcomed the support of colleagues at the CPS and outlined some positive life experiences that make her optimistic for the future.