Prosecution figures represent the number of offenders who committed an offence with a "specific hate motive" pursuant to the Article 140(e) of the Criminal Code.
Sentencing figures represent the number of persons sentenced for offences where a "specific hate motive" was indicated pursuant to the Article 140(e) of the Criminal Code.
In December 2022, the Ministry of Interior conducted a survey on perceptions of safety in Slovakia as part of efforts to counter radicalization and extremism by 2024. The survey included a question on hate crimes, and found that 8 per cent of respondents had been a victim or directly knew someone who was victimized by a hate crime (namely, a physical assault). The Ministry plans to repeat the survey annually.
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published relevant recommendations in its "ECRI conclusions on the implementation of the recommendations in respect of the Slovak Republic subject to interim follow-up adopted on 7 December 2022[2] by ECRI at its 90th meeting (6-9 December 2022)"
ODIHR recognizes Slovakia's efforts to understand unreported hate crimes by conducting an annual victimization survey. 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 further 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, participating States committed to providing hate crime victims with access to counselling and legal assistance, effective access to justice, as well as 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.
🛈 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.