Poland
Poland regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Poland's Criminal Code contains several substantive offences. Data reported to ODIHR include cases of incitement to hatred. Hate crime data are collected by the Department of Control, Complaints and Petitions of the Ministry of the Interior, the General Police Headquarters, the Internal Security Agency, the Preparatory Proceedings Office of the General Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Institute of National Remembrance – General Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation, and the Ombudsman's Office. Hate crime data are regularly published.
OFFICIAL DATA
Year | Hate crimes recorded by police | Prosecuted | Sentenced |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 826 | 374 | 266 |
2019 | 972 | 432 | 597 |
2018 | 1117 | 397 | 315 |
2017 | 886 | 320 | 260 |
2016 | 874 | 281 | 236 |
2015 | 263 | 229 | 195 |
2014 | 778 | 179 | 127 |
2013 | 757 | 116 | 53 |
2012 | 266 | 76 | 39 |
2011 | 222 | 43 | 24 |
2010 | 251 | 30 | 28 |
2009 | 194 | 29 | 27 |
About 2012 Data
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Two sets of data are reported to ODIHR: The overall number of hate crimes is provided by the police and broken down by type of crime but not by bias motivation (it is presented as “unspecified” bias motivation below). Ministry of Interior reports a number of hate crimes disaggregated by bias motivation, but not by crime type. Most of the cases reported by the Ministry of Interior are included in the overall figure (although due to technical limitation, they are also displayed separately below). Reported data include crimes of incitement to hatred.
Incidents reported by civil society, international organizations and the Holy See
INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
Racist and xenophobic hate crime
The UN Human Rights Council, in its Universal Periodic Review, encouraged Poland to consider strengthening legislation on hate crimes, institute a national mechanism on hate crime data collection, and to ensure immediate, adequate and independent investigations of racially motivated crimes.
It also recommended that Poland strengthen measures to prevent racist violence, especially against people of African origin.
Anti-Roma hate crime
The Human Rights Council, in its Universal Periodic Review, recommended that Poland strengthen measures to prevent racist violence, especially against Roma people.
Anti-Semitic hate crime
The UN Human Rights Council, in its Universal Periodic Review, encouraged Poland to enact public-awareness campaigns and government training on discrimination and hate crimes in order to decrease anti-Semitism.
Anti-Muslim hate crime
The UN Human Rights Council, in its Universal Periodic Review, recommended that Poland strengthen measures to prevent racist violence, especially against Muslims.
Anti-LGBTI hate crime
The UN Human Rights Council, in its Universal Periodic Review, encouraged Poland to recognize sexual orientation and gender identity as protected grounds for discrimination and hate crimes and for law enforcement to do outreach with LGBT communities in order to increase reporting of hate crimes.
KEY OBSERVATION
ODIHR observes that Poland has not reported on hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech.