THERE has been a sharp decline in the number of cases of hate crime submitted by police to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).
In 2016/17, 386 files were received compared to 573 in the previous year a fall of more than 30 per cent, according to the PPS's latest statistical report on hate crimes.
However, despite this fall in the overall number of cases being considered, the proportion related to racial crime remains unchanged - the most common form of hate crime, ahead of those with a sectarian motive and twice as many as those involving homophobic and transphobic elements.
The number of cases involving violent offences fell by 31 per cent to 236 last year.
In its annual statistical bulletin, `Cases Involving Hate Crime 2016/17', the PPS revealed that slightly more than half (55 per cent) were prosecuted or given some other court sanction - a third less than the previous year.
The conviction rate of more serious offences in the Crown Court was 81.8 per cent compared with just 58.8 per cent in 2015/16.
But the 59.8 per cent convicted in the Magistrates' and Youth Courts represents a fall from 67.3 per cent.
Of the 347 cases of hate crime which were `aggravated by hostility', the PPS proceeded against 67 per cent.
The majority of these related to offences which were either aggravated on the basis of race (153) or religion (119), while 54 related to sexual orientation, a further seven involved disability and 14 had "multiple motivations".
