Slovakia

Slovakia regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Slovakia has implemented ODIHR's Training Against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE) programme since 2017 and the Prosecutors and Hate Crime Training (PAHCT) programme since 2018. In 2018, the Ministry of Interior co-organized with ODIHR and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights a workshop on understanding and improving hate crime recording and data collection, based on ODIHR's Information Against Hate Crimes Toolkit (INFAHCT). The workshop resulted in a set of recommendations to relevant state authorities. There is a high degree of hate crime specialization in both police and prosecutor structures.

SELECT YEAR

OFFICIAL DATA

Year	Hate crimes recorded by police	Prosecuted	Sentenced
2021	20	13	15
2020	20	16	6
2019	50	38	8
2018	41	20	15
2017	34	16	10
2016	10	9	3
2015	6	30	2
2014	3	Not available	4
2013	7	Not available	7
2012	102	Not available	16
2011	242	Not available	16
2010	Not available	Not available	10
2009	132	Not available	18

About 2021 Data

All figures presented here refer to crimes recorded as having a "special motivation", and therefore constituting hate crimes per section 140e of the Slovak Criminal Code. Data are provided by the police and Prosecutor General's Office. The 20 crimes recorded by police were committed by 12 persons (cumulative crimes). These may include offences that fall outside of the OSCE's hate crime definition. Police records broken down by bias motivation were not reported to ODIHR and are thus not presented below.

Hate crime recorded by police

National developments

In December 2021, the Ministry of Interior conducted a pilot survey on perceptions of safety in Slovakia, as part of a framework of efforts to counter radicalization and extremism by 2024. The survey included a question on hate crimes, and found that 12.8 per cent of respondents had been a victim or directly knew someone who was victimized by a hate crime (physical assault). The survey results were published here, and Ministry plans to repeat the survey annually.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR recognizes Slovakia's recent efforts to understand unreported hate crimes by conducting a victimization survey, as well as to regularly report hate crime data to ODIHR. However, based on the available information, it observes that law enforcement agencies have not recorded the bias motivations behind hate crimes. In addition, ODIHR observes that Slovakia would benefit from developing its victim support system to ensure effective access to justice, assistance, and protection for hate crime victims.

ODIHR recalls that in Ministerial Council Decision 9/09, OSCE participating States committed to promptly investigating hate crimes and ensuring that the motives of those convicted of hate crimes are acknowledged. To that end, law enforcement agencies must first record the bias motivations behind hate crimes. Furthermore, in Ministerial Council Decisions 9/09 and 13/06, participating States committed to providing hate crime victims with access to counselling and legal assistance, as well as effective access to justice. Participating States also committed to ensuring positive interactions between police and hate crime victims by training front-line officers, including on providing referrals for victim assistance and protection. ODIHR stands ready to support Slovakia in meeting its relevant commitments through the provision of comprehensive resources and tailored assistance in the area of hate crime recording and data collection, as well as by providing further resources and assistance in the area of hate crime victim support.

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