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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 2021 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 crime. The sum of disaggregated incidents below adds up to more than the total because crimes can be recorded under more than one bias motivation. The records on prosecuted and sentenced cases do not include all hate crimes recorded in 2021.
Hate crime recorded by police
In the breakdown below, the numbers do not correspond with the total number of police-recorded hate crimes. This is because: (i) there may be several motives registered in one criminal case; and (ii) the police records included incidents of hate speech and discrimination. Such incidents were excluded as they constitute hate speech and discrimination, which fall outside of the OSCE's definition of hate crime.
KEY OBSERVATION
ODIHR recognizes Norway's efforts to address a wider range of bias motivations through amendments to the Criminal Code. 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 co-ordination mechanism.
ODIHR recalls that in 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 hate crimes. To that end, hate crimes need to be distinguished throughout the recording and data collection process from discrimination and other crimes. In Ministerial Council Decisions 9/09 and 13/06, participating States also committed to ensuring a comprehensive approach to hate crimes. To that end, the authorities are required to co-ordinate among themselves while collaborating closely with civil society. 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 by providing further resources and tailored assistance in the area of addressing hate crimes comprehensively.