A total of 448 hate crimes and hate-related incidents were recorded in 2021, according to new data from An Garda Síochána.
Of those 448 incidents, 483 discriminatory motives were recorded with some incidents having more than one discriminatory motive.
The most prevalent motive was racism which accounted for 212 (44%) of the incidents followed by sexual orientation at 73 (15%). 67 (14%) of the motives were in relation to the victims’ nationality, according to the data which was taken from PULSE,.
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Other motives included religion, ethnicity, colour, gender, disability and age.
35% of hate crimes were public order offences while 18% were minor assaults. Criminal damage accounted for 11% of the hate crimes.
50% of hate crimes for 2021 were reported in Dublin while 19% were recorded in the southern region, 16% were in the north-western region and 15% were in the eastern region.
Speaking on the release of the data, Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, of the Garda National Diversity and Integration Unit said: "Everyone has a right to live safely. Hate crimes have a huge impact on victims, because they are targeted because of who they are, and they also have a significant impact on the wider community.
“I want to thank that wider community, NGOs and the media for consistently highlighting the issue of hate crime, and I urge any person who has experienced or observed prejudice to come forward and report those incidents to us. I can assure people that complaints will be dealt with thoroughly and professionally."
"The definitions and recording practices launched in late 2020, are enabling us to gain greater insight into these discriminatory motives and respond accordingly. The release of figures today is the first following the introduction of new procedures, introduced under the Garda Diversity and Integration Strategy, which have enabled the establishment of a verified baseline to be used from 2021 onwards,” the Assistant Commissioner said.
Under Irish law, a hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to, in whole or in part, be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on actual or perceived age, disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender.
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