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Aggravated offences currently exist only for offences involves racial or religious hostility. The higher maximum penalties available for aggravated offences are perceived to have a more powerful symbolic and deterrent effect. Higher maximum penalties mean that aggravated offences are often pursued in the Crown court rather the magistrates court. As the hate crime charity Galop has argued, the Crown court is a more appropriate forum for dealing with the gravity and victim impact of hate offences, and it has superior facilities for victims.