Why Reporting Hate Crimes Matters – and How the Canadian Criminal Law Working Group (CCLWG) Can Help
- ALCCA Staff
- Jun 13
- 3 min read
Antisemitic hate crimes are on the rise across Canada, yet too many go unreported. When hate crimes are not brought to the attention of law enforcement, victims may be left unsupported, perpetrators unaccountable, and communities more vulnerable. It also means there is no public record to reflect the true scale of antisemitic activity, which in turn hinders meaningful policy responses and resource allocation.
If you witness or experience a hate crime, it is important to report it to your local police service. Filing an official police report is the first and most important step in triggering an investigation and potential legal consequences for the offender. Many police services utilize online reporting, especially for graffiti.
There is no one hate crime in the Criminal Code. Any offence can be a hate crime as long as it is motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate against an identifiable group. Where the Crown proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the offence was motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate against an identifiable group, the court may impose a harsher penalty. ALCCA has available on its website a seminar that describes, in lay terms, what amounts to a hate motivated crime and how it can be reported to police. (Access the seminar.)
Many of the antisemitic hate crimes taking place are property offences, including various ways in which property is vandalized. Graffiti targeting Jews or Israelis is one form of vandalism and constitutes a criminal offence—usually mischief to property. When the graffiti is motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate against an identifiable group (such as Jews or Israelis) that motivation may be considered an aggravating factor at sentencing and can lead to a harsher penalty.
For that reason, in cases of graffiti or vandalism, it is imperative that all suspected hate-motivated graffiti be reported to police immediately, and that it not be removed before police can properly document it. Police services are responsible for investigating criminal offences and gathering the evidence necessary for prosecution. If police are unable to take authenticated photos or videos of the graffiti, the evidence may not be admissible in court, and the prosecution could fail as a result.
In addition, police submit data on hate-motivated crimes to Statistics Canada. This data helps communities and policymakers understand the scope and nature of hate crimes—including how antisemitic or anti-Israeli offences compare to other hate crimes across jurisdictions. When graffiti is not reported or documented as a hate-motivated offence, it is excluded from these statistics, creating a misleading picture of the true scale of the problem.
Need Help Reporting a Hate-Motivated Offence?
If you have been the victim of or have witnessed a hate-motivated offence—and would like legal advice on how to report it to the police or assistance in navigating the criminal justice system—the Canadian Criminal Law Working Group (CCLWG) can help.
Reporting the offence to the CCLWG or any other community agency or advocacy group is not a substitute for reporting to the police, but in some circumstances, a decision might be made by a community member to have the CCLWG report the offence to the police where there are confidentiality or safety concerns and the community member’s evidence will not be required (e.g., graffiti where the perpetrator was not observed).
Please contact info@cclwg.ca for further information.
The Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism (ALCCA), which helped establish the Canadian Criminal Law Working Group, continues to play a leading role in its efforts. For additional educational resources, action alerts, and advocacy updates, subscribe to ALCCA’s weekly newsletter.