Homophobic hate crime: Beaten-up for being gay

Jarek was beaten and hospitalised in a homophobic attack after a night out in February 2019.

"I thought London was the best place to be happy and safe and gay - until I was beaten up," he said.

A BBC 5 Live investigation found the number of hate crime reports across the UK more than doubled in the last five years, to over 13,000.

But the number of cases that led to charges or court summons being issued fell by 10% in the same time, to 1,047.

Jarek says he has had a positive experience with the police, but hate crime victim Ferhan says the police have not taken his report of being chased by a group of men shouting abuse from a car seriously.

"These men should have been tried for their crimes, but that never happened."

The Metropolitan Police Service say they have a hate crime liaison officer within every partnership and prevention hub in its basic command units and a central hate crime team.

"We stand with colleagues and groups to investigate all hate crime allegations, support victims, bring perpetrators to justice," the force said.

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Produced by: Eleanor Layhe and Ruth Evans

Commissioning Editor: Kimberley Rowell