Hungary

Hungary regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Hungary's criminal code contains several substantive offences. The Ministry of Interior, the Prosecutor's Office and the Criminal Police Department of the National Police Headquarters collect data on hate crime as part of general crime statistics.

How hate crime data is collected in Hungary

How hate crime data is collected in Hungary

The Hungarian Police does not have a special unit responsible for recording or investigating hate crimes. However, a list of hate crime indicators to help police detect and classify hate crimes more precisely has been developed by criminal justice bodies and civil society groups. The Hungarian Police does not have special forms or templates for recording, reporting on or collecting data on hate crime cases. The protocol for each criminal offence is identical. When the protocol is recorded, officers can mark a potential hate crime and the category of bias motivation on a statistical card, and should also include bias indicators in the description field in text format. However, it is not possible to mark the bias motivation if the perpetrator is unknown. The prosecutor's office does not have separate records on hate crimes.

Criminal data are collected under the Unified Investigation Authority and Prosecutor's Office Criminal Statistics System (ENyÜBS). ENyÜBS contains data provided by the Ministry of the Interior and the General Prosecutor's Office, including on criminal proceedings conducted by the police, the National Tax and Customs Board and the Public Prosecutor's Office, and is supplemented by data from the accusation phase of the prosecution. ENyÜBS is a follow-up statistical system containing statistical data on registered criminal offences, as data are registered in the system once the investigation is complete. As of January 2019, the statistical system recognizes the bias motivation underlying a criminal offence. The statistics follow protected characteristics included in article 216 of the Criminal Code (the crime of violence against a member of the community) – namely, nationality, ethnic origin, race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability – and are not disaggregated by the specific targeted group.

Access more information at the Legislation Online website Legislationline TANDIS Access more information at the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Information System (TANDIS) website

OFFICIAL DATA

Year Hate crimes recorded by police Prosecuted Sentenced
2020 100 12 Not available
2019 132 39 -
2018 194 52 -
2017 233 Not available Not available
2016 33 33 39
2015 Not available Not available Not available
2014 79 23 Not available
2013 43 30 14
2012 38 16 Not available
2011 37 28 Not available
2010 19 12 Not available
2009 15 18 Not available

About 2020 Data

    The reported statistics were disaggregated by type of crime only. A breakdown by bias motivation is not available.

National developments

In 2020, the Prosecutor's Office of Budapest District VI. and VII. pressed hate crime charges [crime of violence against a member of community committed by carrying a deadly weapon (Section 216, Subsection (3) of the Hungarian Criminal Code)] against a man who, after being asked to leave a store due to closing hours by an owner of Chinese origin, threatened the latter using racist anti-Chinese expressions. The perpetrator also pulled out a knife and threatened a customer, who stood up in defence of the store owner, and chased the owner outside of the store.

INCIDENTS REPORTED BY OTHER SOURCES

In addition to incidents summarized below, this graph includes 2 hate incidents reported by Kantor Center as statistics.

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

Date Type of incident Source Description
2020 Violent attacks against people
Hungarian Islam Advocacy Association
 Show info
2020-02 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-06 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-02 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-11 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-02 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info

Anti-Roma hate crime

Date Type of incident Source Description
2020-06 Attacks against property
OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
 Show info

Anti-Semitic hate crime

Date Type of incident Source Description
2020-03 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-05 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-05 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-06 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-11 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-07 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-10 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-12 Threats
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-01 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-02 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-02 Threats
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-01 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020 Attacks against property
Kantor Center
 Show info

Anti-Christian hate crime

Date Type of incident Source Description
2020-06 Attacks against property
Holy See
 Show info
2020-12 Attacks against property
Holy See
 Show info

Disability hate crime

Date Type of incident Source Description
2020 Violent attacks against people
Hungarian Islam Advocacy Association
 Show info

Gender-based hate crime

Date Type of incident Source Description
2020-05 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-05 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info
2020-01 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

Date Type of incident Source Description
2020-05 Violent attacks against people
Transgender Europe (TGEU)
Transvanilla Transgender Association
 Show info
2020-01 Attacks against property
Action and Protection Foundation (TEV)
 Show info

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Anti-Roma hate crime, Anti-Semitic hate crime

The United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) published relevant recommendations in its "Report from the thirty-ninth session: Compilation on Hungary."

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR notes Hungary's progress in prosecuting hate crimes effectively. However, based on the available information, it observes that the law enforcement agencies of Hungary have not recorded the bias motivations of hate crimes. In addition, ODIHR observes that Hungary would benefit from reviewing the existing legal framework in order to ensure that bias motivation can be effectively acknowledged and appropriate penalties imposed on the perpetrators.

ODIHR recalls that in the Ministerial Council Decision 9/09, participating States have committed to promptly investigating hate crimes and ensuring that the motives of those convicted of hate crimes are acknowledged. To that end, the law enforcement must, first of all, record the bias motivation of hate crimes. In the Ministerial Council Decision 9/09, participating States have also committed to enacting specific, tailored legislation to combating hate crimes, providing for effective penalties that take into account the gravity of such crimes. ODIHR stands ready to support Hungary in meeting the relevant commitments through provision of comprehensive resources and tailored assistance in the area of hate crime recording an data collection, as well as providing further resources and tailored legislative advice.

Our methodology