State has responsibility to ‘send message’ about hate crime

The State has a responsibility to send “a clear message” that hate crime will not be tolerated, the head of the country’s human rights agency has said.

Speaking before the launch of European Commission-funded research, Emily Logan said hate crime had a “real-world, oppressive and damaging effect” on those who fall victim to it.

“Hate crime can cause people to withdraw from society and avoid expressing their identity,” said the chair of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.