Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of cases of alleged hate crimes ending before going to court as a result of such complaints being withdrawn.

In 2017-18, the number of non-convictions due to complainant retraction was 188, down from 198 the previous year. This accounted for 1.3% of all completed hate crime prosecutions. The Crown Prosecution Service is working closely with criminal justice partners to ensure the support offered to complainants and witnesses in hate crime cases is tailored to meet their individual needs.

The majority of hate crime prosecutions (75.4%) result in a guilty plea from defendants, reducing the need for complainants and witnesses to give evidence in court. However, where live evidence is required, the CPS is committed to supporting them to give their best evidence. This includes consideration of whether they would benefit from special measures such as giving evidence behind a screen or via a video link.