The numbers below represent all incidents recorded by the police and sent to the criminal prosecutor's office.
This number refers only to bias on the grounds of sexual orientation. Crimes motivated by bias against gender identity are not monitored.
This category refers to all other discriminatory cases not listed elsewhere.
ODIHR recognizes Belgium's efforts to improve its hate crime recording mechanism. Based on the available information, ODIHR observes that Belgium's hate crime recording and statistics do not sufficiently distinguish hate crimes from other crimes. In addition, ODIHR observes that Belgium would benefit from reviewing the existing legal framework in order to ensure that bias motivations can be effectively acknowledged and appropriate penalties can be imposed on the perpetrators.
ODIHR recalls that in the Ministerial Council Decision 9/09, OSCE participating States agreed to a common definition of hate crime and committed to collecting reliable data and statistics on such crimes. To that end, hate crimes need to be distinguished throughout the recording and data collection process from crimes of discrimination. Participating States have 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 Belgium 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 through further resources and tailored legislative advice.