Equality Tasmania has welcomed a review of Tasmania’s hate crime laws with a view to tougher penalties if crime is motivated by anti-LGBTIQA+ hate.

Currently, penalties for hate-motivated crimes can only be tougher if racial hatred is involved.

The Sentencing Board has proposed this be extended to include prejudice and hatred on the basis of sexuality, language, gender, age, disability or other attributes.

Equality Tasmania spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,

“We welcome the review of sentencing for hate-motivated crime and will be making the case for why anti-LGBTIQA+ prejudice and hate should draw tougher penalties.”

“The harm inflicted by crimes against LGBTIQA+ people can be much worse when the motive for that crime is hatred.”

“At the moment, the fact only race hate draws tougher sentences sends the message that hate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics is less serious and more acceptable.”

“It is vital that all forms of hatred are treated equally in the law.”

Mr Croome said the group will also be making the case for Tasmanian Police to have better training in identifying hate-motivated crime and better systems for recording it.

“There is not enough reliable data on hate crime in Tasmania and this is an opportunity to legislate so the Police have to collect that data”, he said.

Details of the review can be found here: https://www.justice.tas.gov.au/community-consultation/consultations/review-of-section-11b-of-the-sentencing-act-1997-by-the-sentencing-advisory-council

For as copy of this statement on the web, click here

For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.