There are a range of organisations that can provide support to anyone that has experienced or witnessed hate crime or a hate incident and would like to talk to someone about it and help them make a report to the police.
Many of these organisations also provide support to community organisations and businesses to help them to develop more inclusive approaches.
These organisations have been specifically trained to assist with third party reporting, as well as providing support for people affected:
A registered charity supporting Gypsies, Irish Travellers and New Travellers in Cornwall and the South West. They also raise awareness about Gypsy and Traveller cultures and traditions and the issues that affect them, including developing and delivering training and workshops for schools, service providers, and other statutory and non-statutory agencies.
Tel: 07939 210014 / 07534 983046
Email: [email protected]
A Cornish charity providing support and guidance to people across the county experiencing and recovering from mental ill health. They offer support to help people believe in their potential an achieve their vocational goals, whatever challenges they face.
Telephone: 01726 862727
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Web: www.pentreath.co.uk/
A part of Intercom Trust, YAY! (Young and Yourself) Cornwall is a youth group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and questioning young people up to the age of 25 who live, work or who are visiting, at school or college in Cornwall.
Helpline: 0800 612 3010 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm)
Confidential e-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://www.intercomtrust.org.uk/yay-youth-groups/
Online contact form: Contact Us (lgbtqyouthcornwall.co.uk)
Intercom is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community resource in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and wider south west. They provide help against homophobic and transphobic prejudice, crime and discrimination (including bullying, harassment, abuse, attacks and threatening behaviour) and help to develop the LGB/T communities, providing professional training and consultancy, working in partnership with local government, the police and health workers.
Helpline: 0800 612 3010 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm)
Confidential e-mail: [email protected]
Victim Supportline: 0300 303 0554
If you have hearing difficulties, you can call the TextDirect access number: 18001 0300 303 0554
An independent charity and a member of the Citizens Advice Service. They offer free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to individuals on their rights and responsibilities. As an organisation they value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination.
Contact them at any Citizens Advice office – find your nearest office here Our Offices | Citizens Advice Cornwall
Adviceline: 0800 144 8848 Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm
SMS: Text ADVICE to 78866
Website: www.citizensadvicecornwall.org.uk
A registered charity located in Cornwall that provides loving support to transgender and non-binary people, their partners, families and friends. They provide a safe private venue for people to come and socialise, make friends laugh and just be themselves in a fearless environment.
Tel: 07763 001354
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.safehaven.org.uk
To access support and advice regarding gender-based abuse, including misogyny and Violence Against Women and Girls, please go to our Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence pages here
You can also access a range of support organisations through the Victim Care Unit website: Victim Care Devon & Cornwall (victimcare-dc.org) – search under “Any crime where you feel you have been targeted because of who you are”. The Victim Care Unit is run by Devon and Cornwall Police and funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner.
We know that hate crime is largely hidden and very few incidents are ever reported to the police – but it does happen in Cornwall and reporting to the police plays an important role in tackling it. As well as preventing further harm, reporting enables the people affected to get support and helps to build a better picture of what is happening in our communities.
Devon and Cornwall Police are predominantly responsible for dealing with hate crimes and hate-related incidents; they are the only organisation who can determine whether an incident is a crime.
If it’s an emergency – or if you or someone else is in immediate danger: Call or text/SMS 999 Minicom/Textphone 18000
If it’s not an emergency or to be directed to the Victim Care Unit: Call 101 or text/SMS 67101 Minicom/Textphone: 18001 101
Online hate incident reporting form: https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/ro/report/hate-crime/hc-av1/report-hate-crime/
For more information see https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/ro/report/hate-crime/information/v1/hate-crime/
As well as reporting directly to the police, hate incidents can be reported through the national third party reporting website True Vision http://report-it.org.uk/home and Stop Hate UK https://www.stophateuk.org/
Internet Hate Crime, Offensive Material and the Law. The internet has changed the way we communicate. It has many positive values but has also allowed hateful content to spread to a broader audience, without editorial control and often behind a veil of anonymity. For more information visit: https://www.report-it.org.uk/reporting_internet_hate_crime
Cornwall Council and the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, the universities and other large organisations and employers have equality officers and established Employee Support Forums for employees from minority ethnic groups where their employees can raise issues and receive support.
The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.
It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone.
The Equalities Act 2010 protects us all against discrimination on the grounds of nine protected characteristics.
The nine protected characteristics are:
You are protected if you are discriminated against because you are perceived to be, or are, associated with someone who has a protected characteristic. For example, if you experience discrimination when caring for a disabled child or relative.
Find out more about who is protected from discrimination, the types of discrimination under the law and what action you can take if you feel you’ve been unfairly discriminated against.
