Séan Neeson said: “I am glad to see that other political parties have started to try to catch up with Alliance on the issue of hate crime laws.
“This legislation is extremely important, and I am surprised that other parties have taken so long to demand its enforcement.
“The PSNI recently announced that they will travel to Latvia to discuss hate crimes with police there. I wonder what the PSNI will be showcasing in Latvia regarding hate crimes, because to my knowledge no-one has been prosecuted here with these laws since their introduction almost two years ago.
“The PSNI must use this legislation with full effect to ensure that the strongest possible message is sent out, in order to stop people committing hate crimes here.”
Séan Neeson concluded: “The key to stopping hate crime is changing peoples attitudes, and if these laws were used properly such changes might occur.”
ENDS