VICTIMS of hate crimes in Hampshire are being urged not to suffer in silence and help police bring those responsible to justice as latest figures reveal that more people are being convicted.

Conviction rates for crimes against people, whether it is because of age, gender or disability, have risen in the Wessex region from 84 per cent to 86 per cent in the last year.

In that time there were nearly 1,000 cases related to hate crimes reported in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight – 811 of which ended with a successful prosecution in the courts.

The figures come from the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) seventh hate crimes and crimes against older people report, which reveals that a new action plan is being launched to boost the handling of disability or hate crimes.

In Hampshire conviction rates for homophobic and transphobic hate crimes and hate crimes against the elderly have fallen in the last 12 months but prosecutions for hate crimes which were racially and religiously aggravated and against the disabled were up.

Kate Brown, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Wessex, said: “It is critical that victims know crimes founded on hostility against a person because of who they are, or who they are perceived to be, are known as hate crimes and will not be tolerated.

“We have seen the conviction rate in Wessex rise from 84.3 per cent to 86.1 per cent, which is above the national average, in 2013–2014 compared to the previous year.

“This means that when we bring cases to court we are getting more right, resulting in justice for more victims.”

One such successful conviction was related to a racially aggravated attack that saw a man beaten on a bus after he had fallen asleep.

A container was thrown at the victim, which hit him on the back of the neck, and when he stood up, the defendant started shouting at him, before kicking him in the face.

Witnesses confirmed that the attacker shouted racist remarks at the victim, who could not speak English.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the assault but not to making the racial remarks, but he was convicted following a trial and sentenced to a 12-month rehabilitation order and ordered to pay £350 compensation.

It is hoped that successful cases like this will encourage more victims to come forward and report any crimes made against them.

Professor Chris Lewis, independent facilitator of CPS Wessex Scrutiny and Involvement Panel, said: “Although it is good to see that there have been more successful prosecutions for hate crime this year, I feel that the cases that come to the justice system and to the panel are just the tip of the iceberg.

“It is vital to improve the reporting of such crimes and I urge all those who are victims of hate crime or who see hate crimes being committed to report the incidents to the police.”