In conversation with: Mark Brookes – shining a spotlight on disability hate crime

The ARC USA national convention in early November is a diary ‘must’ for Mark. It brings members of the disability community across the USA into one place for three days of learning, networking – and fun. Mark will connect and learn with other advocates and professionals who have experience of the criminal justice system across the USA, helping him bolster his Churchill Fellowship network for when he returns next year for a second visit.

Mark’s Churchill Fellowship report will be focused on Supporting People with Learning Disabilities to Understand and Report Hate Crime. The area of hate crime addressed in his forthcoming report remains a UK policy area frustratingly under the radar he feels, despite thoughtful voices and conversations around it.

Progress can sometimes limp behind Mark’s own advocacy which has blazed a trail around hate reporting and learning disability education for more than 20 years. Hate crime reporting from anyone with a learning disability is loaded, often, with uncertainty and personal risk. From name-calling to much worse.

Mark, a victim of hate crime himself, picks his words with care as well as pride, describing the training police students and officers can now access, improving their understanding of hate crime and how it sits with learning disability and autism. The key is training from those with direct, lived experience. Patience, understanding and empathy being key.

“We’ve trained more than a 1,000 frontline police officers in Kent alone, with a further 2,000 scattered further across England,” he says. “It’s under-reported. Disability hate crime, yes, is reported. But learning disability hate crime, well, there’s hardly any figures.”

Roll back to 2016 and Mark fronted a campaign, “I’m with Sam” to highlight the need to stand up to hate crime. The following year, 2017, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) upheld 560 convictions. A big achievement. While prosecution progress zigs and zags, the point is to keep raising awareness. Hate crime reporting is now better defined thanks to smarter reporting tools, advocated by Mark and Dimensions.

One troubling aspect of hate crime for anyone with learning difficulties is that it can come from family and friends, making it extremely difficult to report and handle. It’s a very under-appreciated aspect of hate crime, isn’t it?

“People,” says Mark, “may not report it because it could be financial. It could be sexual. Or simply they don’t want to see their relative or family member at risk of going to jail. Also, it’s their word against someone else. It’s a lot harder to report hate crime against your family.”

Research from Dimensions last year revealed that 6% of UK adults admitted to having physically hurt someone because of their learning disability or autism – that’s equivalent to a staggering 3.6 million people.

The reality for many is raw. But there’s progress to report and share. On 11 October 2024, Mark and Dimensions alongside Nottingham Trent University (NTU) launched a new disability hate crime training package to be delivered across the UK to universities, police forces and other frontline professions. Crucially this training will be delivered in partnership with local self-advocates, giving a lived experience emphasis.

“This kind of training,” says Mark, “doesn’t just provide knowledge, it fosters empathy and a safe environment for dialogue. We must support officers, so they understand the challenges people with learning disabilities and autistic people face. That might mean the difference between a victim feeling heard or sidelined. Everyone deserves to feel safe. It’s critical the police are seen as partners with this.”

Mark’s Fellowship research has connected him with Professor Stephen MacDonald of Durham University. Along with colleagues from Northumbria University, MacDonald developed a new hate crime smartphone reporting app for police in the Northeast. It has been successfully trialled and financially supported by Northumbria Police. Once launched, its use may quickly widen.

Central to Mark’s Fellowship is that reporting of hate crime must become more consistent, offering a much better reflection of the often insidious nature of disability hate crime and the damage it can inflict on local communities.

The research has picked up interest from the Metropolitan Police and The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime. It’s Mark’s hope it will go ‘live’ in London once the app is launched, and funding issues resolved – it’s a project extremely close to Mark’s heart.

Mark’s Fellowship takes him back to the USA in the spring but it’s also supporting further research in Europe, thanks to ongoing networking.

“Working closely with the police and the criminal justice sector,” says Mark, “is vital as evidence collected from a victim at the point of the crime determines whether a case goes to court or not. The Fellowship is an opportunity for disabled people to be seen as credible, reliable witnesses and to meaningfully improve hate crime outcomes for all.”