Antisemitic hate crimes ‘less likely’ to reach court than anti-Muslim offences
Jewish victims face lower charge rates despite far higher per-capita targeting, new figures reveal
Antisemitic hate crimes in England and Wales are significantly less likely to result in a charge than offences targeting Muslims, according to newly released Home Office data.
Figures covering the 12 months to March 2025 show that just 3.8 percent of recorded antisemitic offences led to a charge or summons – roughly one in 26 cases. By contrast, 6.7 percent of anti-Muslim hate crimes resulted in prosecution, equivalent to around one in 15.
The data, obtained via Freedom of Information requests and spanning 35 police forces, indicates that alleged perpetrators in cases involving Muslim victims were around three-quarters more likely to be prosecuted than those accused of antisemitic offences.
The disparity comes despite longstanding evidence that Jewish people are disproportionately targeted. Separate Home Office statistics show Jews are nearly ten times more likely than Muslims to be victims of religious hate crime when adjusted for population size.
In the same period, there were 106 religious hate crimes per 10,000 Jewish people, compared with 12 per 10,000 among Muslims. Jews make up around 0.5 percent of the population of England and Wales, compared with roughly 6.5 percent who are Muslim.
Across both communities, the most common offences were public order incidents involving fear, alarm or distress. More than 1,200 such cases were recorded against Jewish victims, compared with nearly 1,900 involving Muslims. However, only 6.7 percent of cases affecting Jews led to a charge, versus 9.2 percent for Muslim victims.
In more serious cases, including assault with intent to cause serious harm, none of the six recorded incidents involving Jewish victims resulted in a charge. Of the 13 equivalent cases involving Muslim victims, three led to prosecution.
The findings have prompted concern from Jewish communal organisations. A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust said the figures raise “serious questions about consistency in the criminal justice response to hate crime”.
“Jewish communities experience disproportionately high levels of antisemitic incidents, yet offences targeting Jewish victims appear significantly less likely to result in prosecution,” they said.
“Every victim of a hate crime deserves the same level of protection and justice, so it is vital that the reasons behind this disparity are examined.”
David Toube, head of legal at the Jewish Leadership Council, said the data reflects what many in the community already feel.
“These failures create a permissive environment for hatred, in which serious offences are minimised, miscategorised or simply overlooked. This disparity needs to be addressed if the Jewish community is to trust that the law will work to protect us.”
Fiyaz Mughal, founder of anti-Muslim hate crime monitoring group Tell MAMA, warned that proposed new definitions of anti-Muslim hatred could unintentionally widen the gap.
“You would think that with the introduction of the anti-Muslim hostility definition, that existing laws were not sufficient, but this data suggests that it clearly is,” he said.
“Although the new definition is non-statutory, my fear is its promotion could lead authorities to focus even more on crimes against Muslims at the expense of others. Antisemitism and its effective prosecution must also receive consistent and adequate focus.”
Former attorney general Sir Michael Ellis said stronger action is needed to restore confidence.
“Allowing more than two years of hate to go largely unchecked inevitably leads to violence, just as we saw with the Manchester synagogue attack,” he said.
He called for a dedicated antisemitism unit within the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure cases are properly pursued.
The CPS said that differences between reported crimes and prosecutions should be treated with caution, as it can only bring charges when police submit sufficient evidence.
It added that every antisemitic hate crime referred for a charging decision is reviewed, and that it works with police to strengthen cases where necessary.
A government spokesperson said ministers remain committed to tackling all forms of religious hatred.
“There is no space in our communities for threatening, abusive, or harassing behaviour, and we expect anyone stirring up religious hatred to face the full force of the law,” they said.
They pointed to record funding of £73.4 million for protective security at faith sites in 2026-27, alongside a planned independent review of hate crime legislation.
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