A PROPOSED new hate crime law is an “essential step toward protecting vulnerable communities and strengthening trust in our justice system”, according to a politician who has experienced the abuse herself.
St Helier Constable Inna Gardiner made the comments after Home Affairs Minister Helen Miles confirmed that a consultation to inform the development of new legislation is underway.
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Law showed that racially motivated hate crimes in Jersey more than doubled over a nine-year period, rising from 21 reports in 2016 to 44 reports last year.
In the UK, such crimes are covered by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and section 66 of the Sentencing Act 2020 – but no comparable law exists in Jersey.
Mrs Gardiner told the JEP that similar local legislation would provide Jersey with a “modern, transparent structure for identifying hate-motivated behaviour”.
“Hate crime is not an abstract concept in Jersey,” she added. “It is something that many Islanders, including myself, have experienced directly.
“I have spoken with residents who feel unsafe, unheard or reluctant to report incidents because they are unsure whether the system will take them seriously.
“Those experiences, both mine and theirs, make it clear that our current approach does not give people the confidence or protection they deserve.
“In my view, introduction of the hate crime law, which I was advocating for from 2019, is an essential step toward protecting vulnerable communities and strengthening trust in our justice system.”
