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.

Hate crime data collection in the Netherlands
Support for hate crime victims in the Netherlands
Hate crime capacity building in the Netherlands
The Netherlands's hate crime legislation
Download the 2015 hate crime report for Netherlands

OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES

Year Hate crimes recorded by police Prosecuted Sentenced
2023 3,301 97 Not available
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 2015 Data

    Figures reported to ODIHR and presented here include hate speech and discrimination offences (or "basic forms of discrimination") as well as hate crimes ("common offences with a discriminatory motive"). Where multiple biases are registered in an offence, each of them is reported individually in the breakdown below.

Hate crime recorded by police

National developments

The Anne Frank House was granted access to the database of police crime reports in order to identify hate crimes and other discriminatory crimes, and to publicize this information. The resulting annual Monitoring Report provides an authoritative overview of hate crimes recorded by the police.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that the Netherlands have not reported on cases of hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech and/or discrimination.

INCIDENTS REPORTED BY CIVIL SOCIETY

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

In its "Concluding observations on the combined nineteenth to twenty-first periodic reports of the Netherlands", the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recommended introducing racist motivation as an aggravating circumstance in criminal legislation. CERD also suggested that national authorities consider simplifying the legal requirements to punish hate crimes.

Following its mission to the Netherlands, the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent encouraged the adoption of legislation that imposes higher penalties for hate crimes and expressed concern that hate crimes are under-reported and under-prosecuted. It also recommended that the scope of data collected on hate crimes should be expanded, including by offering more victim surveys.