nonsense
A hate crime is not based on the existence of a protected characteristic. You do understand everyone has protected characteristics? It's based on the motive being hate.
the offender has either: Demonstrated hostility based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity Or been motivated by hostility based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity.
Here we have no evidence of a hate motive [as confirmed by the police statement] yet the crime is being classified as a hate crime [again according to their statement].