Concern at crime against disabled

A "worrying picture" of hate crime against disabled people has emerged in the Highlands, according to a report.

A survey by Highland Well being Alliance found a quarter of respondents said they had experienced bullying because of their disability.

It also found only half of those who have been attacked had reported the incident to Northern Constabulary. Police have responded with a number of actions - one will see a website-based system for people to report crimes. Northern Constabulary said funding had been secured and it would be launched this year. The force said there had not been a rise in crimes against people with disabilities.

It is understood 100 people were surveyed for their perceptions of discrimination harassment harrassment against them.

The results are included within a wider annual report on Northern Constabulary's Disability Equality Duty, which will be put put to the Northern Joint Police Board on Friday. It reports high satisfaction among people with disabilities about the quality of service from the force and the attitude of its staff.

However, the report said evidence drawn from the survey indicated "a worrying picture in Highland with regards to hate crime against disabled people and an area of priority" for police, other agency partners and Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.

The alliance - which includes the police, NHS Highland, Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise - examined people's experiences of discrimination and harassment in the region. Almost a quarter of respondents, 23%, reported that they had at some point experienced bullying due to their disability. Those with learning difficulties said they faced discrimination more regularly than individuals with other impairments.

The survey also found females were slightly more likely to have experienced an attack than males. Only half of those reporting that they had been attacked reported this attack to Northern Constabulary. The report said a "fear of making things worse" was given as one of the reasons not to report the incident.