A north MSP has said she hopes the introduction of hate crime legislation will encourage more people to report instances.
Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant spoke out as the latest figures revealed Inverness is at a 10-year high for the number of sexual orientation hate crimes reported to the procurator fiscal.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has published its report on Hate Crime in Scotland for the 2020-21 period.
More than 5,000 hate crimes reported
The annual dataset gathers information on race crime, and on crime motivated by prejudice related to religion, disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity.
The total number of hate crimes recorded across Scotland increased to 5,525 in 2020-21, a rise of four per cent on 2019-20.
Racially aggravated hate crime the most reported in Scotland
Racially aggravated crime remains the most commonly reported hate crime, with 3,285 charges recorded last year.
Inverness, however, bucked the trend, experiencing a 10-year low in the number of racially aggravated crimes reported.
Thirty-seven cases were reported to the procurator fiscal in 2020-21, a drop of seven on the year previous and almost three times lower than the decade high in 2011-12 of 105 reports in the Highland capital.
Despite an increase of six per cent across Scotland in the past year, hate crimes relating to race are still 28% lower than the peak of 4,547 in 2011-12.
Sexual orientation aggravated crime the second most commonly reported
Hate crimes relating to sexual orientation, however, are at a 10-year high in Inverness.
Cases in Scotland rose by five per cent in between 2019-20 and 2020-21.
A total of 1,580 were recorded, with 14 in Inverness – two more than in 2019-20.
Court action or proceedings were brought against 82% of reports of sexual orientation aggravated crime, with no action brought against only one per cent.
In Inverness, hate crimes related to sexual orientation have remained at similar levels over the past four years, as 13 were recorded in 2017-18, 11 in 2018-19, 12 in 2019-20.
Levels remain low in the Highland capital
Religiously aggravate crime rose by four between 2010-20 and 2020-21 in Inverness, as nationally cases dropped by 14%.
Zero transgender identity crimes were uncovered in Inverness, as one less charge was reported across Scotland in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20.
Hopes legislation will lead to more reports
Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant said: “Any number of hate crime incidents is abhorrent and we must all work together to wipe it out completely.
“While numbers across the country are still shockingly high, it is reassuring that racially aggravated crimes are lower in Inverness, despite being one of the most highly reported hate crimes.
“I am proud of the city for that, though until that number is zero, we mustn’t let our guard slip on the work to ensure everyone is safe from any form of hate crime.”
She continued: “However, the number of sexual orientation aggravated hate crimes is at a decade high in the city.
“Sexuality or gender identity crimes are often the least reported, due to stigma, so I am saddened to think the number may actually be much higher.
“With the new hate crime legislation passed in the last session of parliament, I hope to see more people feel able to come forward to report hate crime.
“At a time when we, as a nation, should be pulling together, we must all be working to ensure that hate crime is erased, and that everyone is safe from it.”