Government launches support service for Muslim victims of hate crime
Anti-Muslim hate crime is on the rise, with emboldened rhetoric around “people like you” coming into the country
On the 30th of October 2025, a new helpline and anti-Muslim hate monitoring service was launched to encourage and empower victims of anti-Muslim hate crimes to report incidents.
The British Muslim Trust (BMT) has launched the new helpline service in the wake of increased anti-Muslim hate in the UK. The helpline, powered by British Muslims, will be used to support victims to help them report their experiences in a safe environment.
The British Muslim Trust Helpline is available via multiple channels to encourage and empower victims of anti-Muslim hate to report incidents. Victims can access the helpline through phone (free of charge, 10am–3pm), live chat (10am–3pm), a website form, and email or WhatsApp.
All calls are handled confidentially by Muslim staff to ensure there is a cultural and religious understanding of the context of these incidents.
Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said: “Nobody in this country should ever be made to feel unsafe for their faith or belief, which is why we are working tirelessly to root anti-Muslim hate out of our society.”
Akeela Ahmed MBE, CEO of the British Muslim Trust, said the charity is here “standing with victims and challenging Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate”, and will use the data gathered to help monitor anti-Muslim hate crime and inform policymaking.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of anti-Muslim hate, you can contact the British Muslim Trust on Tel: 0808 172 3524 or Email: [email protected].
National Police Chiefs’ Council statement
17th October, 2025
It is clear that tensions and levels of fear remain extremely high, particularly in the wake of the tragedy of the terrorist attack in Manchester.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council has received a number of duplicated communications from members of the public, expressing a belief that policing has not been robust enough in its response to material and chanting during public demonstrations throughout the UK.
A proportionate response to upholding human rights and freedoms is a vital part of how policing protects our society. Police colleagues and commanders have to make dynamic decisions, taking into consideration competing rights, but also practical and tactical decisions about how to prevent escalation of tensions and to keep our communities safe.
Operational decisions for policing events and responding to reported criminality are the responsibility of individual officers, operational commanders, and local chief officers. There are established procedures in place to challenge or complain about operational decisions; this is not within the remit of the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
We think it is vital to restate our commitment to combat antisemitism and to bring to justice those who commit crime fuelled by that hostility. We have collected and shared data on antisemitic crime since 2008, and in 2014 we were the first institution globally to adopt the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia definition of antisemitism, a forerunner to the IHRA definition later adopted by HM Government. We work extremely closely with the Jewish community, particularly our partners at the Community Security Trust.
Whilst we have a duty to uphold the right to free speech and freedom to protest, that right does not extend to criminal actions, and the police will not tolerate antisemitic or other hate crime.
We would encourage anyone who witnesses criminality to report it, either to the Community Security Trust or direct to the police, including via our online hate crime reporting mechanism at True Vision.
Government publishes hate crime data for year ending March 2025
In the year ending March 2025, there were 137,550 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, a 2% increase compared with the previous year.
You can access the full data here
International governmental organization publishes hate crime data from 48 states
To tackle hate crime and support victims, hate crimes must be prosecuted as such, OSCE human rights office says
“Making the bias motivation behind all hate crimes visible and ensuring they are prosecuted correctly is essential to protect the rights of victims and at the same time ensure effective policies to prevent and address hate crime,” said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on launching its annual hate crime report ahead of the International Day for Tolerance.
You can access the 2023 data here
48 OSCE states reported hate crime data for this year’s update, while civil society from across the OSCE region reported close to 10,000 cases. The report indicates that many gaps remain in the prosecution of hate crimes; incomplete or inadequate legislation is a major obstacle for prosecutors, meaning some hate crimes are not investigated as such or are incorrectly prosecuted as “hate speech” offences.
To help close these gaps, ODIHR has published a practical guide entitled Hate Crime Prosecution at the Intersection of Hate Crime and Criminalized “Hate Speech”, which draws on laws and practice from across the OSCE region.
More information on the Office’s resources to address hate crime is available here.
Government publishes hate crime data for year ending March 2024
In the year ending March 2024, there were 140,561 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, a 5% decrease compared with the previous year.
You can access the full data here
CPS publish best practice guide on investigating and prosecuting disability hate crime
The Crown Prosecution Service has issued new guidance following a period of engagement with disabled people, academics and police colleagues.
Lionel Idan, Chief Crown Prosecutor, National Hate Crime Lead said:
‘Disability hate crime is one of the most pervasive and underreported forms of hate crime. It is an insidious crime that can manifest itself in overt violence or subtle, yet deeply harmful, acts of prejudice and targeting. Its impact on individuals and communities remains far-reaching and profound.
This best practice guide is an essential resource for prosecutors and police officers. It provides practical insights and pointers to assist in recognising, responding to, investigating and prosecuting disability hate crimes.
As you engage with this guide, I encourage you to reflect on the broader societal implications of disability hate crime. Strong partnership working and interagency collaboration lie at the heart of addressing the complexities of these crimes.’
You can access the guidance here
