The Hate and Bias Crimes Monitoring Form Project January 2013 – September 2017 Presented at the launch of the research report Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre 8 February 2018 Prof Juan A. Nel (Research Professor: UNISA Department of Psychology; HCWG lead researcher; Member of PsySSA Council) Yolanda Mitchell (Ubora Research Solutions)

‘Take home’ messages Most comprehensive/ in-depth study of hate incidents in SA, to date An evidence base re occurrence, nature & impact (but not prevalence) now at the disposal of legislators/ policy makers Hate incidents have an especially traumatic effect on victims, with additional consequences for communities & society Some targeted more, but all affected/ ↓↓ recourse Skewness in whose/ which experiences given more attention HCWG not a proponent of criminalisation of hate speech (other remedies already exist), but words do matter and can be hurtful & harmful All have role to play in meaningful response Social problems require social solutions…

HCWG: Developing a hate and bias crimes monitoring tool for the South African context

Need for Monitoring Hate Incidents Historically no monitoring of hate incidents across vulnerable sectors in SA Legislative importance: Send a clear message that hate crime will not be accepted (Jeff Radebe, Former SA Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, 2014) Unlock resources for raising awareness and training of service providers Social / Societal importance: Internationally considered a priority crime, on basis of severity of emotional & psychological impact rather than prevalence Reaches beyond individual victim, affecting communities and extending to society

The journey: 2009-2017 Need for collation of available, intersectoral data established in 2009 - 2010 NOT a prevalence study Inclusivity - broader and more generic in nature ↑ Government awareness of types of hate incidents happening Improving future policy and strategies for addressing hate incidents Monitoring the extent of hate incidents in respective sectors Monitoring form collaboratively developed and piloted by a range of stakeholders, 2010 - 2012 5-year longitudinal study 2013 - 2017

What data did we collect? Set goal of collecting 900 cases across sectors and in 5 provinces (EC, Gauteng, KZN, Limpopo, WC) Gathered 1061; 945 retained for analysis Information on: Demographics Current incident details The profile of the alleged offender(s) Police – involvement and reaction Access to court procedures Access to healthcare and support Previous incidents

Key findings (for today) The numbers and the people Who were victims of hate incidents? What types of incidents were recorded? Who were perpetrators of hate incidents? What was the impact on the victims? What was SA’s response to hate incidents? Recommendations

The numbers and the people

Who were victims of hate incidents? Age range: 0-81 Race: no-one exempt Some vulnerable groups targeted more often / more often recorded due to reports in media and by participating organisations (report: p. 14) Nationality (language plays a role) Sexual orientation / gender identity Dual vulnerabilities Judaism (hate speech / defamation)

What types of incidents were recorded? Media focus v. daily experience (report: p. 13) Murder 4%; Rape 4%; Assault 14% Theft 30%; Damage to property 27% Intimidation 34%; Harassment 22% IUD 19%; Threatened with weapon 12% ‘Minor’ crimes; major impact Message crimes Extreme cruelty / overkill Total destruction

Who were perpetrators of hate incidents? ??? – information missing Individuals: me; you; our neighbours Whole communities Teachers and preachers Doctors and nurses Police officers Politicians

What was the impact on the victims? Individual Cumulative Lasting Debilitating Emotional; mental; physical; economic; relationships (report: p. 15) Family / community Debilitated individuals; debilitated families Love begins at home; hate does too Society Security and trust: lost; fear and anger spreads Positive impact?

What was SA’s response to hate incidents? Civil society, Chapter 9’s, statutory bodies Good efforts within their abilities and mandates, but overwhelmed National structures Criminal justice Two in three cases not reported to police Offenders apprehended in one quarter of reported cases Only 62 cases seen through to verdict; 16 convictions incl hate motive Task teams / action plans Proposed legislation IN EVERY CASE, SOMEONE HAS BEEN IMPRISONED...

Recommendations Monitoring and recording hate crimes Develop guidelines for responding to hate crimes What can you do? Individually In your community In your country

Thank you... Supported by a grant from the Open Society Foundation for South Africa (OSF-SA) Project Assistance by the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) and the Independent Projects Trust

Contact details hcwg.org.za Prof Juan Nel Cell: +27(0)83 282 0791 or nelja@unisa.ac.za