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  • Overview
  • Hate crimes - Official data
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Belgium

Belgium regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Recent initiatives to improve hate crime identification, recording and data collection have been implemented through ODIHR's Information Against Hate Crimes Toolkit (INFAHCT) programme. In particular, Belgium has implemented the programme's recommendations on the operational practice of police, prosecutors, and equality bodies.  

Hate crime data collection in Belgium
Support for hate crime victims in Belgium
Access more information at the Legislation Online website Legislationline TANDIS Access more information at the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Information System (TANDIS) website

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OFFICIAL DATA

Year Hate crimes recorded by police Prosecuted Sentenced
2021 1,591 1,357 Not available
2020 1750 1334 80
2019 1568 1371 103
2018 1446 1006 72
2017 875 60 56
2016 845 70 59
2015 881 69 56
2014 1064 76 61
2013 375 822 45
2012 615 893 66
2011 1152 865 75
2010 815 860 Not available
2009 1198 974 Not available

About 2019 Data

    In addition to hate crimes, the numbers reported here also include other types of "discrimination" incidents, which can fall outside of the OSCE's definition of a hate crime. Some cases may have been registered several times by the police, such as when there was more than one victim, whereas the prosecution would registered such cases only once.

Hate crime recorded by police

The numbers below represent all incidents recorded by the police and sent to the criminal prosecutor's office.

  • By bias motivation
  • By type of crime
Download official data
Download official data

National developments

In 2019, the Police of Antwerp provided specialized support and reception of victims of hate crime. The Police of Charleroi drafted an information leaflet for victims of hate crime, with information on obtaining support from Belgium's equality bodies (Unia and the Institute of equality between women and men). This initiative has been followed by other local police units. Furthermore, the Police of La Louvière developed a brochure for local police officers explaining how to handle hate crime cases. In 2018 and 2019, several local police unites developed a model "procès verbal" (a written record of an official proceeding), in order to register hate incidents in the correct manner. A group was also set up via Yammer (a corporate social network) where contact police officers listed in the Circular on the investigation and prosecution policy on discrimination and hate crimes (COL13/2013) can network and share information online. The Federal Police created a SharePoint page where relevant knowledge and information about COL13/2013 will be made available for police officers.

Following recommendations made by the EU FRA and ODIHR at a January 2020 workshop on registering hate crimes and offences, a working group composed of representatives of the Equal Opportunities Team (SPF Justice), the police, the judiciary and Unia was set up to optimize the registration of hate crimes. The aim of this working group is to provide solutions to the various problems regarding hate crime registration in Belgium, including: the absence of an obligation to systematically register all hate crimes at the police level; the technical impossibility of registering cases of multiple discrimination (hate crimes on the basis of several protected criteria); and the lack of a system to automatically transmit information about hate crimes registered by police to the IT systems of the judiciary and the Central Criminal Records Office.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that Belgium has not reported on cases of hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech or discrimination.

INCIDENTS REPORTED BY OTHER SOURCES

Antisemitisme.be reported descriptive incidents as well as statistical data. Kantor Center reported only statistical data. This explains the discrepancy between the graphic above and the incidents included below.

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

Date Type of incident Source Description
2019-03 Violent attacks against people
CCIB
Show info
2019-03 Attacks against property
Antisemitisme.be
Show info
2019-02 Attacks against property
Antisemitisme.be
Show info
2019-03 Violent attacks against people
CCIB
Show info
2019 Attacks against property
CCIB
SETA
Show info
2019-03 Attacks against property
Antisemitisme.be
Show info
2019-11 Attacks against property
Antisemitisme.be
Show info
2019-05 Attacks against property
Antisemitisme.be
Show info

Anti-Semitic hate crime

Date Type of incident Source Description
2019-04 Attacks against property
Antisemitisme.be
Show info
2019-03 Attacks against property
Antisemitisme.be
Show info
2019-06 Threats
Antisemitisme.be
Show info
2019-06 Threats
Antisemitisme.be
Show info
2019-03 Attacks against property
Antisemitisme.be
Show info
2019-03 Attacks against property
Antisemitisme.be
Show info
2019-10 Attacks against property
Antisemitisme.be
Show info
2019-07 Threats
Antisemitisme.be
Show info

Anti-Muslim hate crime

Date Type of incident Source Description
2019-01 Violent attacks against people
CCIB
Show info
2019-03 Violent attacks against people
CCIB
Show info
2019-06 Threats
CCIB
Show info
2019-11 Violent attacks against people
CCIB
Show info
2019-12 Violent attacks against people
CCIB
Show info
2019-03 Violent attacks against people
CCIB
Show info
2019-05 Violent attacks against people
CCIB
Show info
2019-07 Violent attacks against people
CCIB
Show info
2019-10 Attacks against property
CCIB
Show info
2019 Attacks against property
CCIB
SETA
Show info
2019-12 Attacks against property
SETA
Show info
2019-10 Threats
SETA
Show info
2019-07 Violent attacks against people
SETA
Show info
2019-01 Violent attacks against people
SETA
Show info
2019-01 Violent attacks against people
SETA
Show info
2019-10 Violent attacks against people
SETA
Show info
2019 Violent attacks against people
SETA
Show info

Anti-Christian hate crime

Date Type of incident Source Description
2019-12 Attacks against property
OIDAC
Show info
2019-08 Attacks against property
OIDAC
Show info
2019-03 Violent attacks against people
Jehovah's Witnesses
Show info

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Anti-Semitic hate crime, Anti-LGBTI hate crime

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published relevant recommendations in its "Sixth report on Belgium."

Anti-Roma hate crime

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published relevant recommendations in its 2019 Roma and Travellers Survey findings, "Roma and Travellers in six countries."

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2022 HCR Call for Submissions_in focus image

2022 Call for Civil Society Submissions

14 Feb 2023
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HCRW announcement banner

2021 Hate Crime Data Now Available!

16 Nov 2022
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ODIHR's impact in 2021: Marking 15 years of reporting hate crimes

12 Apr 2022
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ODIHR's impact in 2021: Lifting up indigenous voices to counter racism and promote diversity and inclusion

01 Apr 2022
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ODIHR's impact in 2021: Delivering tools to support hate crime victims

24 Mar 2022
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Call for submissions image.png

2021 Call for Civil Society Submissions

16 Feb 2022
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2020 Announcement Page

2020 Hate Crime Data Now Available!

15 Nov 2021
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FAQ.png

Hate Crime Data: Frequently Asked Questions

15 Nov 2021
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Steps to Meet Hate Crime Victims' Needs

ODIHR's impact in 2020: Strengthening Support for Hate Crime Victims

16 Apr 2021
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10 practical steps to respond to the security needs of Muslim communities

ODIHR's impact in 2020: A holistic and inclusive response to anti-Muslim hate crimes

15 Apr 2021

Contact Us

Email tndinfo@odihr.pl
Tel +48 22 520 06 00
Fax +48 22 520 06 05
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department
Ul. Miodowa 10
00-251
Warsaw, Poland

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