A carer has admitted a Disabled Hate Crime against the handicapped person she was looking after.
[the defendant] admitted theft of thousands of pounds from a cerebral palsy sufferer when she made her first appearance before Blackpool Magistrates.
Staniford of Roxburgh Avenue, Blackpool, was said by the prosecution to have stolen £10,507.50 from her victim’s bank account.
However her lawyer […] said that amount would be contested. He told the court:”From the paperwork I have studied the figure is only £5,300.”
Magistrates were told the charge was covered by the Disabled Hate Crime legislation and was significant breach of trust.
via Woman guilty of hate theft from man – Blackpool Gazette.
So obviously this isn’t very nice, and we’d rather someone convicted of theft while being a carer didn’t get another job as a carer, but I don’t understand why it’s a hate crime. Theft? Definately. Breach of trust? absolutely. Nasty thing to do? Yes. Motivated by hate? Um…
Can anyone help me out on this?
The CPS’s definatation of hate crime is as follows:
Any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s disability or perceived disability.
I’ve also been a little worried that hte perception is by the victim, rather than, say, a jury. But the two sources don’t appear to add up for me. If someone is working as a professional carer, one imagines it’s difficult to make a chage of hostillity stick… anyone shed some light on this?
EDIT – and Twitter responded….
Disability hate crime…. or is it? Carer robs CP sufferer. http://t.co/j4pZFG3M0b
— retired account (@retired10072015) October 9, 2013
“@joereddington: Disability hate crime…. or is it? Carer robs CP sufferer. http://t.co/yJcozdyB8z” @DIsabilityNW ?
— Natalie Close (@Closie01) October 9, 2013
@joereddington I don't think it is a hate crime, it is a crime against a disabled person which is sad?
— Bradley Dodd (@BradDodd) October 9, 2013
https://twitter.com/Andr_Dim/status/388037612755107840
https://twitter.com/Andr_Dim/status/388038209189318656
https://twitter.com/Andr_Dim/status/388038366861615104
@Andr_Dim then the question becomes – is it possible to steal from a disabled person without it being a hate crime?
— retired account (@retired10072015) October 9, 2013
https://twitter.com/Andr_Dim/status/388038994396577792
https://twitter.com/Andr_Dim/status/388039317056020480
https://twitter.com/Andr_Dim/status/388039550531928064
@Closie01 @joereddington I would say so – If in doubt – #HateCrime marker should always go on !
— Disability Equality (@DIsabilityNW) October 9, 2013
@DIsabilityNW @Closie01 Do you not think that position (if in doubt, then it's hate) undermines civil liberties?
— retired account (@retired10072015) October 9, 2013
@DIsabilityNW @Closie01 How about 'assume possibility and add if proof'? If every crime against a group is denoted a 'hate crime' then that-
— retired account (@retired10072015) October 9, 2013
@DIsabilityNW @Closie01 -cheapens both the label, and the group (and also labels the group…)
— retired account (@retired10072015) October 9, 2013
@joereddington @Closie01 #HateCrime isn't recognised or reported enough & so hard to prove, v little chance of label being over used !
— Disability Equality (@DIsabilityNW) October 9, 2013