Hate crimes are still on the rise in the country, reports Statistics Canada, which reports that if Quebec is recording an increase like the other provinces, it is however below the national average.
This category of crimes increased by 27% in Canada between 2020 and 2021, after a marked jump of 36% the previous year. The 2021 data is the most recent released by the federal statistics agency. Thus, in 2021, 3360 hate crimes were reported.
We are only talking here about crimes that have been reported to the police. Members of some communities who are targets of hate may not file a complaint for a variety of reasons, including if they distrust the police. In addition, it should be noted that an increase in “reported crimes” does not always mean that a greater number of offenses have been committed: it is possible that citizens were more inclined to go to the police to report them.
Why such an increase? Statistics Canada’s analysis offers as an answer the fact that the occurrences of discrimination in the country — including hate crimes — have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, “during which the debate on the issues of systemic discrimination has also increased. »
The increase in the number of hate crimes recorded from 2020 to 2021 is largely attributable to those targeting religion (up 67%), sexual orientation (up 64%) or race. In the latter case, the increase is more modest (6%) but the number of cases is sadly high, with 1,723 hate crimes reported. Those targeting a religion have reached an all-time high, says Statistics Canada, after three years of consecutive declines. Believers of the Jewish faith have been the most targeted by far.
Between 2018 and 2021, the rate of hate crimes (per 100,000 population) has steadily increased across the country, in every province.
And for each of these four years, the rate was lower in Quebec than the national average.
For example, in 2021, the rate was 8.8 in the country (or 8.8 for every 100,000 inhabitants) while it was 5.7 in Quebec. In 2020, it was 7 in Canada compared to 5.3 in Quebec.
Hate crime incidence rates were highest in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario in 2021, pulling the national average higher.
And similar to previous years, just over half of police-reported hate crimes were non-violent offences, mostly mischief, including against places of worship.