Hate crime was up 12% in Ireland last year, according to new figures from An Garda Síochána.
They recorded 651 hate crimes and hate-related (non-crime) incidents throughout 2023, up 69 from the year previous.
Of these, 548 were hate crimes and 103 were non-crime, hate-related incidents.
According to Gardaí, a hate crime is when a perpetrator's hostility toward a person is based on their age, disability, race, colour, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or gender.
The most common motive for such crimes last year was race (36%), followed by nationality (18%) and sexual orientation (16%).
Some 44% of all hate-related incidents in Ireland last year occurred in the Dublin region.
Hate crime
Chief Superintendent Padraic Jones said there was a clear increase in hate crimes last year.
"In one sense it is positive that victims are coming forward and speaking with An Garda Síochána about their experience of a crime motivated by hate, but it is disappointing that incidents of this nature occur at all,” he said.
"Being targeted because of a characteristic has an enormous and often life-altering impact on a victim, and as a society, we must continue to reject hate and discrimination - everyone has a right to live safely.”
Mr Jones asked for anyone who has experienced prejudice to contact Gardaí.
"I can assure you that we will deal with it professionally and provide our support in any way we can,” he said.
Case studies
In one case last year, a male post office worker in the northwest was reported for racially abusing a fellow staff member and received a two-month suspended sentence after being convicted in the district court.
A man in his 40s in the south of the country was sentenced to 14 days in prison after verbally abusing a victim with homophobic slurs and threatening them with a knife.
In another case, a man was out walking in Dublin when he was verbally abused with homophobic slurs and assaulted by a group of people, with charges against those involved now pending before the Circuit Court.
Gardaí say that 1,000 of its personnel of all ranks completed a programme in human rights and policing last year.
Main image: Gardaí on patrol, 28-12-23. Image: Leah Farrell / © RollingNews.ie
