Netherlands
The Netherlands regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Police and prosecution statistics are published annually. A victimization survey is conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics every two years and the results are published here.
The Netherlands' Criminal Code contains no hate crime provisions, and hate crimes are addressed as "criminal offences with a discriminatory aspect". The Public Prosecution Service provides guidance on investigating and prosecuting such offences (Aanwijzing Discriminatie), including on prioritising discrimination offences.
In October 2021, the Netherlands appointed a National Coordinator against Discrimination and Racism to ensure a comprehensive approach to countering discrimination and hate crime, including with the involvement of civil society.
In May 2022, a new State Commission against Discrimination and Racism (State Commission) was tasked with conducting research into discrimination and racism, including hate crimes.
OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES
Year | Hate crimes recorded by police | Prosecuted | Sentenced |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | 2,476 | 81 | Not available |
2021 | 2,417 | 485 | Not available |
2020 | 2133 | 409 | Not available |
2019 | 2016 | 343 | Not available |
2018 | 3299 | 312 | 91 |
2017 | 3499 | 331 | 79 |
2016 | 4376 | - | - |
2015 | 5288 | Not available | Not available |
2014 | 5721 | 133 | 87 |
2013 | 3614 | 83 | 89 |
2012 | 3292 | 114 | Not available |
2011 | 2802 | 169 | Not available |
2010 | 3538 | 170 | 90 |
2009 | 2212 | 160 | 135 |
About 2022 Data
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Police-recorded figures only include hate crime incidents within the OSCE definition. Hate speech incidents, including insults, are not included in the figures above (4,149 incidents of insults were recorded in 2022). Where multiple biases are registered for an offence, each bias is reported separately.
Data on prosecuted cases only include hate crime incidents within the OSCE definition. Prosecutor data present the number of criminal discriminatory offences that can be legally qualified, rather than the number of incidents. One alleged criminal offence or hate crime fact can lead to the registration of more than one discriminatory ground.
The judiciary does not record hate crimes, as the discriminatory motive does not need to be proven in court or addressed in judicial decisions.
The discrepancy between the police and the prosecution figures can be explained by the different approaches to recording (including a perception-based recording and a broader framework for recording by the police), the fact that not all reported incidents lead to a prosecution (e.g., due to the victim's preference for an alternative solution or a lack of evidence), and the fact that not all registered hate incidents are found plausible by the prosecution.
Hate crime recorded by police
Police figures do not include hate speech incidents, including insults, which were recorded separately (4,149 incidents in total). The below charts present the total numbers for each bias motivation.
KEY OBSERVATION
ODIHR recognizes the Netherlands' efforts to build the capacity of law enforcement and criminal justice professionals to address hate crimes. However, based on the available information, it observes that since 2018, the Netherlands has not reported data on hate crimes recorded by the judiciary to ODIHR. In addition, ODIHR observes that the Netherlands would benefit from reviewing the existing legal framework in order to ensure that bias motivations can be effectively acknowledged and appropriate penalties imposed on the perpetrators.
ODIHR recalls that in Ministerial Council Decision 9/09, OSCE participating States committed to collecting reliable data and statistics in sufficient detail on hate crimes and to report such periodically to ODIHR. To that end, hate crimes need to be distinguished throughout the recording and data collection process from discrimination and hate speech crimes. Participating States also committed to enacting specific, tailored legislation to combat hate crimes, providing for effective penalties that take into account the gravity of such crimes.
ODIHR stands ready to support the Netherlands in meeting the relevant commitments through its comprehensive resources and tailored assistance in the area of hate crime recording and data collection, as well as through further resources and tailored legislative advice.
INCIDENTS REPORTED BY CIVIL SOCIETY
🛈 Please note that the total number of incidents may be lower than the sum of incidents presented in the breakdown chart above, as some incidents involve multiple bias motivations.
🛈 ODIHR no longer presents descriptions of property attacks in the incident tables below. Data on property attacks are presented in the breakdown charts above. One property attack may target multiple properties or involve multiple types of attack.
🛈 Please note that the total number of incidents may be lower than the sum of incidents presented in the breakdown chart above, as some incidents involve multiple bias motivations.
🛈 ODIHR no longer presents descriptions of property attacks in the incident tables below. Data on property attacks are presented in the breakdown charts above. One property attack may target multiple properties or involve multiple types of attack.
🛈 Please note that the total number of incidents may be lower than the sum of incidents presented in the breakdown chart above, as some incidents involve multiple bias motivations.
🛈 ODIHR no longer presents descriptions of property attacks in the incident tables below. Data on property attacks are presented in the breakdown charts above. One property attack may target multiple properties or involve multiple types of attack.
Racist and xenophobic hate crime
Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2022-01 | Violent attacks against people | Transgender Europe (TGEU)
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Gender-based hate crime
Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2022-01 | Violent attacks against people | Transgender Europe (TGEU)
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Anti-LGBTI hate crime
Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2022-01 | Violent attacks against people | Transgender Europe (TGEU)
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Show info |