The Attorney General, the Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP, today visited the Community Security Trust (CST) to discuss their work combatting antisemitic hate crime
The CST aims to promote good relations between British Jews and the rest of British society by working towards the elimination of racism and antisemitism. They represent British Jews on issues of racism, antisemitism, extremism, policing and security, and assist those who are victims of antisemitic hatred, harassment or bias. Visiting the CST’s headquarters in Hendon, the Attorney General discussed the impact of hate crime on Britain’s Jewish community and the work that it is doing to raise awareness of and tackle the rise in anti-Semitic hate crime.
Today’s visit takes place during Hate Crime Awareness Week. Hate crime is when someone is targeted because of their actual or perceived race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability. It is a criminal offence and the law provides additional penalties for such crimes.
Last year (2020/2021) the CPS prosecuted 363 cases of religiously aggravated hate crime, in which 74.3% of cases the defendants pled guilty.
Over the last three years ending in 2020/21, CPS also prosecuted 8,202 cases of racially aggravated hate crime, in which 82% of defendants pled guilty.
The Attorney General, the Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP, thanked CST for their welcome and stated:
CST Chief Executive Mark Gardner said:
The Attorney General has also recently referred the case of Ben John to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme, as she believed it to be unduly lenient. Far-right extremist Ben John was convicted of possessing the ‘Anarchist’s Cookbook’ which gives detailed instruction on how to plan and execute terror attacks using explosives and by other means of violence. He was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment’, suspended for 2 years.