During an investigation into hate crime, BBC Three has found that some children under the age of seven have been reported to the police for homophobic and transgender hate crimes since 2014.
Key findings from the research are:
On the number of crimes
♦ Since 2014, the number of recorded transgender hate crimes has risen by 150 percent, recorded homophobic hate crime has risen 66 per cent, and both together have risen by 72 per cent
There has been a 10 per cent drop in the proportion of homophobic hate crimes resulting in a charge, from almost one in four (23 per cent) in 2014 to just one in eight (13 per cent) in 2017
The highest rate of recorded homophobic hate crimes were in Merseyside, followed by West Yorkshire, Gwent, South Wales and Leicestershire. However as the data only accounts for recorded crimes, this could be due to better reporting in these areas.
On perpetrators of crimes
♦ Among those reported to the police for homophobic or transgender hate crimes since 2014 were 70 children under 13, including several under the age of seven.
♦ People in their 20s are the most likely to be accused of a homophobic hate crimes, while suspects in transgender hate crimes tend to be teenagers or even younger
On victims of crimes
♦ The age group most likely to report being a victim of homophobic or transgender hate crime are those aged 20-29
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