A criminal injuries legal specialist has echoed calls for the Crown Prosecution Service to do more to help disabled victims of hate crime.
The CPS has issued new guidelines to the police in an effort to help increase the number of successful prosecutions against those who target people with disabilities in England and Wales.
Matthew Evans, a partner with Fentons Solicitors LLP who specialises in criminal injury compensation claims, said while the police and prosecution service had largely succeeded in tackling crimes where race, religious and homophobia were the root cause, disabled hate crime - where hostility towards a person is based on their disability - was still an issue.
"Only recently there has been widespread media coverage of individual cases where crimes committed against disabled people have resulted in the death of victims," said Matthew.
"It's unfathomable that there are people out there who think it is acceptable to abuse or commit a crime against someone purely because that person has physical disabilities or learning difficulties," he said. "Hopefully these new guidelines will help the CPS better identify where hostility against disabled people is the underlying motive for a crime, and make prosecutions accordingly."
How can Fentons Solicitors help?
Fentons Solicitors has a specialist department which deals with claims for criminal injury compensation and applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
If you think that you have a case, or if you require further information, please contact Fentons on 0800 0191 297 or fill in the online claims questionnaire.
Source - BBC News
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