1 Report an incident
Hate incidents and hate crimes occur when an individual is subjected to hostility or prejudice by another person because of either their race, faith, disability, sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
Hate incidents and crimes can take many forms and may cause considerable distress. It is important to report each incident so that the victim can access support, and agencies can work together to stop them happening again.
Incidents should be reported to Victim Support Sussex, a partner of West Sussex County Council, that provides the Hate Incident Support Service.
If you are a school reporting an incident, you may be interested in our guidance to responding to hate incidents and crimes.
Report a hate crime online (external link)When reporting:
- you can report an incident whether you are a victim, witness, or third party who has become aware of an incident
- there are no restrictions on age
- you do not have to identify yourself, but if you want to be contacted, it is essential that you leave an address and/or a contact number
- you can report an incident even if you do not have all of the information requested on the form, as any information that you can provide may be valuable
An easy-read version of the form is available below in order for you to report any hate incident.
Send your completed form to the email address above or by post to:
Hate Incident Support Service
Victim Support
PO Box 101
Crawley
West Sussex
RH10 8UA
2 What happens next
We will not give your personal details to anyone, including the police or other organisations, without asking you first. However, if there is a safeguarding issue, or in the event of a serious crime or risk of crime, we may need to tell someone.
If you report an incident we record it only for statistical reasons.
If you want help to take further action, Victim Support Sussex will contact you to find out more.
Where legal action is taken as a result of the incident you may be asked to give evidence.