PPS Annual Statistical Bulletin on Hate Crime 2023-24

The bulletin is set out in two parts, reflecting the two distinct definitions applied in cases involving hate crime, as recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the PPS. In Part One key statistics are presented in relation to cases involving hate crime submitted to the PPS by the PSNI, while in Part Two key statistics are presented in relation to cases considered by a Prosecutor to have involved hate crime which was ‘aggravated by hostility’.

The key findings include:

Part One: Cases Involving Hate Crime Submitted by the PSNI

• During the 2023/24 financial year, the PPS received 340 files involving hate crime. This was a decrease of 79 on 2022/23 (419)
• Of the 340 files received in 2023/24, 127 (37.4%) related to racial crimes, with a further 88 files (25.9%) relating to sectarian crimes
• The majority of files received fell into the category ‘violence against the person’ (64.7%). The number of cases involving violent offences decreased by 20.6%, from 277 in 2022/23 to 220 in 2023/24
• Prosecutorial decisions were issued in respect of 486 persons, an increase of 2.7% on 2022/23 (473)
• 16 of the 18 defendants dealt with in the Crown Court were convicted of at least one offence, while the conviction rate in the Magistrates’ and Youth Courts was 70.2%

Part Two: Cases Considered by a PPS Prosecutor to have Involved Hate Crime which was ‘Aggravated by Hostility’

• The PPS issued 281 prosecutorial decisions in 2023/24, nearly four-fifths (79%) were for prosecution (192) or diversion from the courts (30). This compared with the 296 prosecutorial decisions taken in 2022/23, of which 79.1% were for prosecution (202) or diversion from the courts (32)
• The majority of the 281 decisions in 2023/24 related to offences which were either aggravated on the basis of race (136) or religion (97). 38 decisions related to offences aggravated on the basis of sexual orientation. The remaining decisions related to offences aggravated on the basis of disability or multiple motivations
• 8 of the 14 defendants dealt with in the Crown Court in 2023/24 were convicted of at least one offence. Just over three-quarters (77.5%) of those dealt with in the Magistrates’ and Youth Courts were convicted, more than in 2022/23 (72%)
• Of the total of 149 defendants convicted during 2023/24, 44 were recorded as having received an enhanced sentence due to the aggravating feature of their offence(s)

The Bulletin can be found on the Thematic Bulletins Hate Crime page within the PPS website.

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