The number of hate crimes committed against transgender people in Sussex rose by almost a third in the last year, new figures show.

New data from the Home Office shows Sussex Police recorded 201 hate crimes against transgender people in the year to March - a rise from 152 in 2021-22.

This follows the national trend - the data also shows an 11 per cent rise in anti-transgender offences across England and Wales, with more than 4,700 crimes recorded in 2022-23.

Sussex Police recorded 3,476 hate crimes in the year up to March, up from 3,139 the year before.

Among these, 2,097 offences (60 per cent) were motivated by race or ethnicity, 787 (23 per cent) by sexual orientation, 377 (11 per cent) against those with disabilities and 186 (five per cent) by religious belief). Individual offences can have more than one motivating factor.

Responding to the figures, LGBTQ+ group Stonewall criticised political leaders for not having acted “seriously or quickly enough” against hate crime.

A spokesman for the charity said: “Many of them are filling the public domain with toxic language that dehumanises LGBTQ+ people.”

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The Home Office says public discussion by political leaders and the media could be behind a rise in transphobic hate crime across the country.

A spokesman for the department said: “Transgender issues have been heavily discussed by politicians, the media and on social media over the last year, which may have led to an increase in these offences, or more awareness in the police in the identification and recording of these crimes.”

Sussex Police Superintendent Nick Dias, the force lead for hate crime, said: “Hate crime is abhorrent and has a significant impact upon our communities. Committing a crime against someone because of their disability, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, religion or any other perceived difference is unacceptable and it won’t be tolerated.

“We treat hate crime extremely seriously, and we work with partners and the community to provide engagement and increase awareness. Our proactive approach ensures victims and witnesses have the trust by the increase in reports in recent years.

“However, we acknowledge that hate crime in general remains underreported, and we continue to work together to gain a better understanding of where it is taking place and who is involved so we can take positive action.

“I would encourage anyone who has been a victim or witness to hate crime to please report it to us. Know that your voice will be heard.”

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Last year saw the first recorded drop in hate crime offences across England and Wales, falling from 153,200 in 2021-22 to 145,200 in the year to March.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office said there is “no place for hate in our society” and the government remains “committed to ensuring these abhorrent offences are stamped out”.

She said: “We are pleased there has been an overall reduction in hate crimes recorded by police, and the numbers of sexual orientation, race and disability hate crimes all fell, but any instance is one too many.

“We expect the police to fully investigate these hateful attacks and make sure the cowards who commit them feel the full force of the law.”