Scottish police received more than 7,000 complaints about possible hate crimes in the first week of the country’s controversial new law.
Only 240 of the reports have been recorded as hate crimes for investigation by Police Scotland, with the vast majority not deemed worthy of further attention.
Publishing figures for the first seven days under Scotland’s new hate crime law on Wednesday, the force said the majority of complainers opted to stay anonymous.
Critics of the new law – which makes it an offence to “stir up” hatred – had warned that it would spark a deluge of vexatious complaints and would waste precious police time.
However, SNP minister Angela Constance, Scotland’s Justice Secretary, defended the new hate crime law and said the number of recorded hate crimes showed why it was “required”.
Ms Constance said: “It is important when we look at the number of hate crimes recorded – 240 – by Police Scotland in one week alone, I think that demonstrates that this legislation is required and needed to protect marginalised and vulnerable communities most at risk of racial hatred and prejudice.”
Police Scotland acknowledged that there had been a “substantial increase” in hate reports since the new law kicked in – but insisted that the impact on frontline policing had been “minimal”.
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents rank and file officers, told i last week that staff in the command and control centre were “overwhelmed” with hate crime complaints.
The SPF said staff have taken overtime to sift through the huge number of reports, while backroom administration staff have been pulled in to help sort through the claims.
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The SNP-led Scottish Government’s new law has established an offence for stirring up hatred over-protected characteristics, including transgender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability and age.
Many of the online hate complaints so far are understood to be about SNP leader Humza Yousaf, and his 2020 speech highlighting how many top jobs in Scotland were filled by white people.
Police Scotland revealed that 7,152 hate crime complaints were made using an online form, with another 141 made via email and 34 made by telephone – taking the total number of reports to 7,327.
Of these, 240 were recorded as hate crimes – 3.3 per cent of all reports – while 30 were logged as non-crime hate incidents, meaning they did not meet the threshold for a criminal offence, but details will be kept on file.
Some 120 of the crimes reported had a racial aggravator attached, the figures showed, while 42 had an aggravator for sexual orientation, 38 for disability, 21 for both age and religion and eight for transgender identity.
Nearly half of all the complaints made online were made on the first day, the figures showed, before the number of reports slowed later in the week.
Slides produced by Police Scotland also showed that only two complaints made under the new law stemming from the Old Firm match between Rangers and Celtic on Sunday.
Scottish Conservatives said the new official figures showed “the huge toll Humza Yousaf’s shambolic hate crime law is already having on Scotland’s overstretched police force”.
The party’s shadow justice spokesperson Sharon Dowey said: “Humza Yousaf should admit he’s got it badly wrong and bin this disastrous law.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “This data highlights the substantial increase in the number of online hate reports being received since 1 April.
“This significant demand continues to be managed within our contact centres and, so far, the impact on frontline policing, our ability to answer calls and respond to those who need our help in communities across Scotland has been minimal.”
The spokesperson added: “All complaints received are reviewed by officers, supported by dedicated hate crime advisers, and dealt with appropriately, whether that is being progressed for further assessment, or closed as they do not meet the criteria under the legislation.” By Adam Forrest, i News
