Strengthening support and protection for hate crime victims
Protecting and supporting hate crime victims is an essential and often overlooked element of a comprehensive response to hate crimes. However, in many OSCE participating States, measures or systems to support hate crime victims remain insufficient or non-existent.
ODIHR works with victim support practitioners, criminal justice professionals and policymakers to improve systems and services for hate crime victims across the OSCE region. The aim of this work is to ensure that hate crime victims receive specialized support and protection tailored to their individual needs.
Why is this important?
Victims of hate crimes experience great harm because they are targeted based on characteristics that are fundamental to their identity. The offenders select the individual victim or property as representative of a group, using them to send a message of rejection or superiority to that group. As a result, the impact of hate crimes goes beyond individual victims to include all members of the community who share the same protected characteristic as the victim.
Activities
Since 2020, ODIHR has implemented three projects across the 27 countries of the European Union, while continuing to support all OSCE participating States and report on their hate crime victim support systems as part of its Hate Crime Report.
Through this work, ODIHR:
- Trains first responders and criminal justice actors to effectively address hate crimes and offer specialized support and protection to hate crime victims;
- Develops capacity-building tools and resources on hate crime victim support;
- Supports policymakers to improve existing hate crime victim support systems; and
- Facilitates the exchange of good practices and raise awareness of hate crime victim protection and support.
Additionally, ODIHR co-ordinates the European Union’s Working group on hate crime victim support under the High Level Group on combating hate speech and hate crime.
Contact ODIHR’s Hate Crime Victim Support Team
To work with ODIHR on hate crime victim support, please contact: hatecrimetraining@odihr.pl
For more information, visit the STARS project page: STARS: Comprehensive Support for Hate Crime Victims
Webinars and videos on hate crime victim support
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Addressing the psychological needs of hate crime victims through a trauma-informed approach
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Ensuring Justice for Hate Crime Victims through Strategic Litigation
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Ensuring sensitive and respectful treatment of hate crime victims (Spanish)
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Placing victims at the heart of hate crime response
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Understanding Hate Crime Victims
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Hate Crime Victim Support Providers
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The EStAR Project and Strengthening Hate Crime Victim Protection and Support
Resources on strengthening support for hate crime victims
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Comprehensive Support for Hate Crime Victims
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Implementing Restorative Justice for Hate Incidents and Hate Crimes - a Practical Guide
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Including the voices of hate crime victims in policymaking and policy implementation — a practical guide
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The Sensitive and Respectful Treatment of Hate Crime Victims
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Hate Crime Victim Support Building Blocks
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Hate Crime Victims in the Criminal Justice System - A Practical Guide
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Hate Crime Victim Support: Policy Brief
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Diagnostic Tool for Assessing National Hate Crime Victim Support Systems
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Sensitive and Respectful Treatment of Hate Crime Victims: Training Course for Criminal Justice Professionals
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Quality Specialist Support Services for Hate Crime Victims: Training Course
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Photo gallery
ODIHR works with victim support practitioners, criminal justice professionals and policymakers to improve systems and services for hate crime victims across the OSCE region.
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Joint training event for civil society and law enforcement in Lithuania, 11 December 2025
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Joint training event for civil society and law enforcement in Lithuania, 11 December 2025
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Joint training event for civil society and law enforcement in Lithuania, 11 December 2025
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Joint training event for civil society and law enforcement in Lithuania, 11 December 2025
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Joint training event for civil society and law enforcement in Lithuania, 11 December 2025