A Freedom of Information request has revealed that transphobic hate crimes in Hertfordshire have increased over the past two years.

Hertfordshire Police recorded 22 transphobic hate crimes in 2019 and 32 in 2020. Between January and August this year, there were 30 recorded.

Violent crimes against trans people have also increased recently. There were 16 violent transphobic hate crimes recorded in 2019, 24 in 2020 and 21 in January-August 2021.

When it came to sexual orientation hate crimes, which includes transphobic offences, there were 203 in 2019 and 200 in 2020. Over the past eight months of this year, there were 160 recorded.

The highest number of violent sexual orientation hate crimes in a calendar month was 17 in July 2020; for violent transphobic hate crimes it was five in March 2020, September 2020 and November 2020.

If you have witnessed or are a victim of LGBTQ+ hate crime, Stop Hate UK might be able to help. Stop Hate will assist you while reporting, offering support before, during and after to help you understand the process.