Calls for hate law to protect gay people

Published on 02/10/2007 12:15

A BID to strengthen the law on hate crimes against gay or disabled people was launched today.

Green MSP Patrick Harvie is lodging a Bill in the Scottish Parliament that would make attacking someone because of either their sexual orientation or their disability an aggravating factor.

That would put such assaults on the same legal footing as racist and religiously aggravated assaults.

The Green Party sees such a move as being vital to help improve equality in Scotland.

It comes after a survey in 2004 found that 47 per cent of disabled people had experienced hate crime because of their disability, with 31 per cent of those reporting that they suffered verbal abuse, intimidation or physical attacks at least once a month.

Research into attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people carried out in 2002 found 68 per cent had been verbally abused in the last year, while 23 per cent had been physically assaulted.