08 July 2016•Update: 09 July 2016
LONDON
Hate crimes rose sharply in the U.K. as the country held its EU membership referendum last month, new figures have shown.
Data released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council on Friday showed 3,076 hate crimes had been reported to police across the country between June 16 and June 30, which is an increase of 42 percent over the same period last year.
The reported incidents included cases of violence against individuals, harassment and verbal abuse, among others.
The figures appeared to corroborate concerns that ethnic and religious minorities were being increasingly targeted in the U.K. after it voted to leave the European Union in the June 23 referendum.
Incidents peaked on June 25, the day after the referendum results were announced, when 289 offences were recorded across the country.
The council’s assistant chief constable, Mark Hamilton, said: “We now have a clear indication of the increases in the reporting of hate crime nationally and can see that there has been a sharp rise in recent weeks.
“This is unacceptable and it undermines the diversity and tolerance we should instead be celebrating.
“Everyone has the right to feel safe and confident about who they are and should not be made to feel vulnerable or at risk. The police service has no tolerance for this type of abuse but we need to be made aware that these crimes are taking place so that we can investigate.”
Also on Friday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan launched a campaign calling for city residents to “stand together” against racist and xenophobic offences.
“I simply will not tolerate hate crimes of any form, anywhere in London. We must stand together and anyone who sees or is targeted by abusive behavior should report it to the police immediately,” Khan said in a statement.
