Incitement to racial hatred removed from IWF’s remit
11 April 2011
A new service for reporting
all hate crimes online has been launched by the police. The website, called True Vision, is supported by
all forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and can be accessed at www.report-it.org.uk 
. All reports of
incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK previously reported to the
Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) should now be reported directly to True Vision.
The True Vision website provides a wealth of information
for victims and the public about what hate crime is, why it is important to
report it when it happens, including a new online reporting form. The site also
provides links to organisations that can offer support and advice on hate crime
related issues.
Eve Salomon,
Chair, IWF said: “We are very pleased to
see our law enforcement partners develop a comprehensive reporting service
incorporating all forms of hate crime. The
Internet industry deserves a great deal of credit for funding an IWF service to
receive reports of incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK since
2000 when no alternative system existed. However as new legislation has been
introduced to include a wider range of hate crime definitions, the development
of one all-embracing direct reporting service is an excellent idea. Having made
a significant contribution to providing a public service for many years the IWF
is now pleased to hand over responsibility for racial hatred reports to our police
partners. We now turn our attention to focus more effort on other areas of our
remit and in particular the removal of child sexual abuse content wherever it
is hosted in the world.”
Andrew
Cormack, Chair of IWF Funding Council and Chief Regulatory Advisor, JANET(UK) said: "The members of
the Funding Council of the IWF welcome the creation of this new
service and look forward to working with both the IWF and True Vision to
continue to reduce the amount of criminal content online."
The police believe that the website will help
increase the reporting of hate crime by building confidence in victims and
offering a range of reporting options for victims who may not wish to talk
directly to the police. It also provides links to a number of organisations who
can offer support.
ACPO lead on hate crime, Assistant Chief Constable
Drew Harris, said: “Hate
crimes cause a great deal of fear amongst victims and damages communities.
Whilst we are committed to reducing the incidence of hate crime, it is vital
that we close the gap of under-reporting. Only by increasing reporting can we
gain a better understanding of the extent of hate crime and it is for this
reason that I urge victims and witnesses to use the True Vision website and to
continue to come forward so we can bring the perpetrators to justice.”
- End -
For more
information about True Vision contact:
Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Press
Office on 020 7084 8946/47/48 (office hours) or via 07803 903686 (out of office
hours) or press.office@acpo.pnn.police.uk
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is
an independent, professionally-led strategic body. In the public interest and,
in equal and active partnership with government and the Association of Police
Authorities, ACPO leads and co-ordinates the direction and development of the
police service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In times of national
need ACPO, on behalf of all chief officers, co-ordinates the strategic policing
response.
ACPO’s 334 members consist of 250 chief police
officers from the home forces of assistant chief constable rank (commanders in
the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police) and above, plus 65 senior
police staff members from the 44 forces in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland. Non home forces such as British Transport Police have 16 chief
police officer members and there are three members from the Service
Police.
