Charities face 'climate of fear' as threats surge

A surge in death and rape threats and harassment has created "a climate of fear" at charities serving women and refugees, as well as mosques, churches and synagogues, the head of the Charity Commission warns today.

- Patrick Butler

Mark Simms will say he fears "growing hostility" toward charity staff, volunteers and beneficiaries, both online and on the streets, is becoming "normalised" and risks eroding civilised "values and norms" British society once took for granted. The commission is issuing formal guidance to charities on how to protect voluntary workers exposed to what it calls "unacceptable" personal risks as a result of threats, abuse and intimidation from some sections of the public.

A range of charities report being targeted by extremists amid a rise in increasingly toxic and divisive rhetoric around immigration, with incidents of violence and physical vandalism and increased security measures to combat these - regarded by some as the "new normal".

Refugee and asylum seeker charities, Muslim, Jewish and ethnic minority organisations, faith groups, women's groups, youth bodies, homelessness charities and charity shops have reported increasing incidents of violence, threats, racism and abuse since the Southport riots.