Italy

Italy regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Annual reports on hate crime have been published since 2010 and can be accessed here.

The Observatory for Security against Discriminatory Acts (OSCAD) carries out activities to prevent, counter and monitor hate crimes. OSCAD works closely with the National Office against Racial Discrimination (UNAR), which deals with non-criminal hate incidents and co-ordinates a permanent consultation group to promote LGBTI rights and protection.

Italy implemented ODIHR's TAHCLE (Training Against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement) programme in 2014. Italy also participated in ODIHR's project on "Building a Comprehensive Criminal Justice Response to Hate Crime", which included the training of police, civil society, and lawyers on hate crime investigation and victim support, and the mapping of available hate crime data in the Lombardy region.

SELECT YEAR

OFFICIAL DATA

Year	Hate crimes recorded by police	Prosecuted	Sentenced
2021	1,445	Not available	Not available
2020	1111	Not available	Not available
2019	1119	-	-
2018	1111	613	46
2017	1048	613	40
2016	736	424	31
2015	555	Not available	Not available
2014	596	Not available	Not available
2013	472	Not available	Not available
2012	71	Not available	10
2011	68	31	19
2010	56	Not available	60
2009	134	Not available	Not available

About 2012 Data

Download official data

National developments

The Observatory for Security against Acts of Discrimination promoted several initiatives to improve police responses to hate crime, across the regional and federal structures of the Italian Police including seminars and training sessions and held a seminar for personnel at the Public Security Department of the Ministry of the Interior. In addition, an inter-institutional working group discussed the development of a national strategy to prevent and combat discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, within the programme “Combating discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity” promoted by the Council of Europe.

KEY OBSERVATION

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

Incidents reported by civil society, international organizations and the Holy See

Reports

Anti-Semitic hate crime

Lunaria reported one case of vandalism against a Holocaust memorial and one case of graffiti on a municipal library where Holocaust Remembrance Day events were scheduled.

The Foundation Jewish Contemporary Documentation Centre reported one case of theft of plaques commemorating Jewish Holocaust deportees, one case of graffiti, two cases of vandalism against synagogues and one case of theft of a menorah from a public place.

World Without Nazism reported one physical assault carried out by a group, resulting in serious injury.

Anti-Muslim hate crime

Lunaria reported one case of graffiti near a mosque; one case of damage to a mosque by throwing stones; and two physical assaults, including one against two women involving an attempt to pull off their headscarves and against two Bangladeshi men by a group.

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

The Observatory on Homophobia reported the murder of a transgender person in Cataria; 13 physical assaults, including five resulting in serious injury, five carried out by a group and one where an older man was seriously beaten after intervening to stop an attack against a gay couple; one sexual assault during which a gay man was threatened and forced to perform oral sex; two cases of damage to property including a series of attacks against the headquarters of an LGBT NGO involving attempted arson; one case of robbery and threats; and one further case of threats.

Hate crime against Christians and members of other religions

The Holy See reported seven cases of cemetery desecration; 15 cases of church desecration, including eight involving the theft of church property, and one case of desecration of a nativity scene display in a public square.

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

Lunaria reported a series of acts of vandalism against the same man’s property over several months; an arson attack against a refugee centre; 34 physical assaults, including twelve resulting in serious injury and 14 carried out by a group, including one against a family. The largest groups of victims were men from Bangladesh and men of African origin, other victims included a family from Morocco, men from India and Pakistan, an Ecuadorian man, and a Colombian woman.

Anti-Roma hate crime

Lunaria reported attacks against Roma houses with stones during an anti-Roma rally.

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Anti-Roma hate crime

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recommended that Italy provide training to local public authorities on racial discrimination, as a measure to address the lack of systemized training for law enforcement on obligations under the CERD treaty and the low number of prosecutions, despite the high number of hate crimes and violence. It also recommended that Italy take measures to prevent racist violence against Roma and Sinti people, and to ensure hate crimes against them are promptly investigated and prosecuted so that perpetrators do not enjoy de jure or de facto impunity.

The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe recommended that Italy address potential inconsistent interpretation of aggravating circumstances provisions for bias-motivated crime through political leadership and awareness raising for all persons involved in the criminal justice system. He also expressed concerns about violence against Roma, noting that the bias motivation of these crimes is often downplayed by authorities, and encouraged better monitoring of hate crimes and ensuring bias motivation is part of the investigation and prosecution of such crimes.