Three hate crimes every hour since Brexit referendum
British police say the number of hate crimes in the United Kingdom has dramatically increased by more than 50 percent since the country voted to leave the European Union.
On Tuesday, a new report published by the British media cited the UK Metropolitan Police, aka Scotland Yard, as saying that the number of hate crimes in London has sharply risen by more than 50 percent since the Brexit vote, with an average of 67 incidents of hate crimes reported every day.
New figures revealed that between June 24, the day on which the result of the EU referendum was announced, and July 2, 599 incidents of hate crime had been reported to Scotland Yard.
British officials said the vast majority of these incidents involve abusive and offensive language, adding that anti-refugee sentiment has also been on the rise in the UK.
“We are carefully analyzing every incident to see what is happening across London and these figures may change as victims come forward and report incidents after the event,” said Commander Mak Chishty, Britain’s senior police chief. "I would strongly urge both victims and witnesses to come forward and report any such incidents to police as soon as possible."
Chishty further said police recognize that people "are feeling anxious at the perception of increased intolerance against certain communities".
In the latest incident, a Polish man suffered “significant injuries” following a “racially aggravated assault” by two men on the day the Leave decision was announced.
The 30-year-old victim was walking in the street as two men approached him and asked if he spoke English, before repeatedly punching and kicking him.
He sustained an eye injury, a fractured cheekbone and substantial bruising to his body, police said.
Hate crime is defined as an offense, perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic.
In the June 23 referendum, about 52 percent of British voters opted to leave the EU, while roughly 48 percent of the people voted to stay in the union. More than 17.4 million Britons said the country should leave the bloc just over 16.14 million others favored remaining in the EU.
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