24 August 2011
Press release
Hate crime on the increase
A senior church in leader in Wales has voiced his dismay at the increase in hate crimes after a report was published on 23 August.
Police forces in Wales have issued figures showing that 1900 cases of hate crimes were reported in Wales during 2009. However the Safer Wales charity believes that less than one in four cases are reported to the police and that the real figure is closer to 9000.
Hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by hostility towards someone based on their disability, race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Elfed Godding, national director of Evangelical Alliance Wales said: "I am saddened by these figures today, as they represent hundreds of individuals whose lives have been wrecked by hatred and injustice. Wales has a proud history of defending constitutional rights and personal freedom but these numbers are a real cause for concern.
"Evangelical Alliance Wales speaks on behalf of about 60,000 Christians in Wales and there are many churches who are working alongside some of the most marginalizes groups in our society, offering practical help in the name of Christ.
"Where there is hatred there is also fear and I urge all Christians in Wales to counter this culture of hate by loving their neighbours, whoever they may be."
Media Enquiries
Danny Webster
Tel: 07766 444 650
Email: info@eauk.org
Notes to Editors
Evangelical Alliance Wales was started in 1990 and is a part of the UK Evangelical Alliance and the World Evangelical Alliance, both established in 1846 – the latter of which today has a global membership of 380 million. Evangelical Alliance Wales represents Christians and churches from within over 20 denominations in Wales to the government and media. The Evangelical Alliance Wales has a Media Voice Team that can be contacted via info@eauk.org
The Evangelical Alliance
We are the largest and oldest body representing the UK’s two million evangelical Christians. For more than 165 years, we have been bringing Christians together and helping them listen to, and be heard by, the government, media and society. We’re here to connect people for a shared mission, whether it’s celebrating the Bible, making a difference in our communities or lobbying the government for a better society. From Skye to Southampton, from Coleraine to Cardiff, we work across 79 denominations, 3,500 churches, 750 organisations and thousands of individual members. And we're not just uniting Christians within the UK – we are a founding member of the World Evangelical Alliance, a global network of more than 600 million evangelical Christians. For more information, go to www.eauk.org.
