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18
Apr
Transgender hate crimes increasing across North Yorkshire, figures show
The number of hate crimes committed against transgender people is rapidly increasing in North Yorkshire.
Data published by North Yorkshire Police in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request seeking details on transgender hate crimes showed a steep increase in offences over the last 10 years.
The request sought the number of trans hate crimes reported to the force between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2024.
It also asked how many of those hate crimes were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service within the same period, as well as the number of offences that resulted in no further action.
According to police data, the total number of hate crimes committed against transgender people in the county over the ten-year period was 230.
The numbers are very low between 2014 and 2016, when four hate crimes were committed against transgender people in total.
This shot up to eight in 2017, then nine in 2018.
Since then, the numbers have increased almost every year, and the force recorded a total of 62 transgender-related hate crimes in 2024.
That’s more than a 60% increase over a decade.
You can find a full breakdown of the number of transgender hate crimes committed within the ten-year period below.
The number of transgender-related hate crimes within the ten-year period.
Outcomes
North Yorkshire Police also outlined the outcomes of the 230 transgender-related hate crimes.
Of the 230 offences, just 13 – or 5.7% – resulted in people being charged or summonsed.
Around 25% (58) of cases saw investigations conclude without a suspect being identified, while several cases were registered as having “evidential difficulties”, such as a suspect not being identified or a victim not supporting police action.
Two cases (0.9%) were not investigated by the police due to them not being in the public interest, the data says, and eight were still under investigation at the time the figures were released.
You can find a full breakdown of the outcomes below.
Outcomes of transgender-related hate crimes in North Yorkshire within the ten-year period.
‘Don’t suffer in silence’, police tell victims
The FOI request also asked North Yorkshire Police to share the details of any police policies or initiatives to increase the detection or prosecution of hate crimes against transgender people, as well as any police policies on outreach to transgender community groups.
The force directed the enquirer to a recent response to a similar FOI request, in which it cited North Yorkshire Police’s Hate Occurrence and Crime Procedure.
The previous FOI response said:
All hate crimes reported are reviewed by the Hate Crime Team who provide bespoke guidance to the Officer in Charge (OIC) on how the investigation should be progressed with particular emphasis on ensuring the victim receives the right level of support and that national and local guidance and policy is followed in terms of referring the matter to the CPS for a charging decision.
As part of these reviews, the team will identify cases which have experienced delays or any issues which may have resulted in an unsuccessful prosecution and will take action to address this.
The Stray Ferret approached North Yorkshire Police about the figures.
We asked what the force does to ensure the safety of transgender people in North Yorkshire, and why so few offences led to legal proceedings.
A spokesperson told us:
When a hate crime is reported to us, we treat it as a priority.
North Yorkshire Police have a hate crime team that review all reports of hate crimes and advise on local procedures and national guidelines.
Victims of hate crime are also automatically referred to Supporting Victims, our commissioned partner who contacts the victim and ensures that they have a suitable level of support in place.
North Yorkshire Police believes that targeting people because of who they are is completely unacceptable. If you have been a victim of hate crime, please do not suffer in silence, there are several ways that this can be reported, even if you do not want to speak to the police directly.
Information on how to report hate crimes to the force can be found here.
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