Ireland now has a hate crime law. The Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 came into force in December 2024. This means that if someone commits a crime against you because of your LGBTQ+ identity, they can face a more serious punishment than they would for the same crime without that motivation.
Even without this law, a crime is still a crime. You can always report something that happened to you — you don’t need to be sure it was because you’re LGBTQ+.
Things you can report include: assault, verbal or physical harassment, sexual harassment, sexual violence, criminal damage to your property, stalking, someone sharing intimate images of you without your consent, death threats, and other threatening or abusive behaviour.
What is a hate crime?
A hate crime is a criminal act that was motivated by hate, hostility or prejudice towards the victim’s identity. A person’s identity does not need to be the only motivation for something to be considered a hate crime.
Hate crimes are based on “actual or perceived” identity or characteristics. This means that you do not need to prove that you are LGBTQ+ or a member of a protected group to prove that it was a hate crime – it is up to Gardaí and lawyers to prove that the person who committed the crime knew or thought this.
Under new hate crime laws, the government plans for the following identities and characteristics to be protected: sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity, gender expression, gender exploration, and being trans or intersex), disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, membership of the Traveller or Roma community, religion, and age.
What should I do if experience a hate crime?
- Make sure you are safe – go to a well-lit area with lots of other people around. In an emergency, call 999 for Gardaí.
- Get medical help if you need it – call 999 for an ambulance in emergencies.
- Contact someone you know and trust for help, or for a safe place to go to.
- Consider reporting the crime to Gardaí either online or in person – learn more about this below.
- Get support – experiencing a hate crime can be difficult and traumatic. If you need support, you can contact Belong To here, the LGBT helpline (01 685 9280), the crime victims helpline (116 006), or another support or therapy service.
Can I report a hate crime?
Yes – you can report a hate crime to Gardaí in person or online.
You might not be sure if something happened to you because you are LGBTQ+. If you decide to report a crime to An Garda Síochána, you can explain why you think you were targeted because of your LGBTQ+ identity.
How do I report hate speech or a hate crime?
Hate speech is against the law in Ireland. To report hate speech, contact your local Garda station here.
You can report a hate crime to An Garda Síochána at your local Garda station or online. This online report can be anonymous, or you can leave your contact details if you would like to help with the investigation. The hate crime online reporting form is available here.