Norway
Norway regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. In 2021, the Norway Police established a National Expertise Group on Hate Crime. The Group is part of the Oslo Police District and is a reinforcement of the Oslo Police District's Hate Crime Unit. The mandate of the Group is to build the capacities of the regional police districts through training and guidance and, if necessary, to provide assistance in specific cases.
The Attorney General's Annual Circular, which sets out goals and priorities for the year for police and prosecution services, has included hate crime as a priority area for over 20 years. This means that hate crime cases, whatever the severity, are given priority and cannot be dismissed due to capacity or other reasons within police districts.
OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES
| Year | Hate crimes recorded by police | Prosecuted | Sentenced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,090 | 310 | 250 |
| 2022 | 923 | 263 | 203 |
| 2021 | 959 | 54 | 17 |
| 2020 | 744 | 804 | 67 |
| 2019 | 761 | 70 | 37 |
| 2018 | 624 | 60 | 37 |
| 2017 | 549 | Not available | Not available |
| 2016 | 466 | Not available | Not available |
| 2015 | 347 | Not available | Not available |
| 2014 | 223 | Not available | Not available |
| 2013 | 238 | Not available | Not available |
| 2012 | 216 | Not available | Not available |
| 2011 | 218 | Not available | Not available |
| 2010 | 307 | Not available | Not available |
| 2009 | 236 | Not available | Not available |
About 2020 Data
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The records presented in this table include incidents of hate speech and discrimination, which fall outside of the OSCE's definition of hate crimes. The sum of disaggregated incidents below adds up to more than the total because crimes can be recorded under more than one bias motivation.
Hate crime recorded by police
In the breakdown below, the numbers do not correspond with the total number of police-recorded hate crimes above because: (i) there may be several motives registered in one criminal case; and (ii) the police records included incidents of hate speech and discrimination, which were excluded as they constitute hate speech and discrimination which do not fall under the OSCE definition of hate crime.
KEY OBSERVATION
ODIHR recognizes Norway's efforts in training investigators and prosecutors on hate crime. However, based on the available information, it observes that Norway's hate crime recording and statistics do not sufficiently distinguish hate crimes from other crimes. In addition, ODIHR observes that Norway would benefit from ensuring that hate crimes are addressed in a comprehensive manner, including by introducing a coordination mechanism.
ODIHR recalls that in the Ministerial Council Decision 9/09, participating States have agreed to a definition of hate crime shared by all OSCE participating States. They have also committed to collecting reliable data and statistics on hate crimes. To that end, hate crimes need to be distinguished throughout the recording and data collection process from discrimination and other crimes. In the Ministerial Council Decisions 9/09 and 13/06, participating States have also committed to ensuring a comprehensive approach to hate crimes. To that end, the authorities and civil society need to collaborate and coordinate. ODIHR stands ready to support Norway 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 providing further resources and tailored assistance in the area of addressing hate crimes comprehensively.
INCIDENTS REPORTED BY CIVIL SOCIETY
Anti-Christian hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03 | Attacks against property | OIDAC
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INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Anti-LGBTI hate crime
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published relevant recommendations in its "Sixth report on Norway."