Poland
Poland regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Several public bodies are involved in monitoring and/or collecting data on hate crimes, primarily the police and the Prosecutor's Office. Hate crime data are regularly published.
There is a high degree of hate crime specialization in both police and prosecutor structures. More than 100 specialist hate crime prosecutors have been appointed, and a network of hate crime co-ordinators was established in the police in 2014. In 2015, following a request by the lower house of parliament, ODIHR provided a legislative review of proposed changes to the Criminal Code of Poland, including on hate crime provisions.
In 2023, Polish police participated in a three-day train-the-trainer workshop as part of ODIHR's Training Against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE). In 2018, the Ministry of the Interior, ODIHR and the EU Fundamental Rights Agency co-organized a workshop on understanding and improving hate crime recording and data collection based on ODIHR's Information Against Hate Crimes Toolkit (INFAHCT) programme. In 2019, ODIHR co-operated with the Commissioner for Human Rights in Poland to issue a report on the nature and scale of unreported hate crimes against members of selected communities in Poland.
A draft bill is being developed to amend the Penal Code to strengthen criminal law protection against criminal discriminatory grounds for conduct on the basis of disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES
| Year | Hate crimes recorded by police | Prosecuted | Sentenced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 893 | 386 | 296 |
| 2022 | 1,180 | 440 | 312 |
| 2021 | 997 | 466 | 339 |
| 2020 | 826 | 374 | 266 |
| 2019 | 972 | 432 | 597 |
| 2018 | 1117 | 397 | 315 |
| 2017 | 886 | 320 | 260 |
| 2016 | 874 | 281 | 236 |
| 2015 | 263 | 229 | 195 |
| 2014 | 778 | 179 | 127 |
| 2013 | 757 | 116 | 53 |
| 2012 | 266 | 76 | 39 |
| 2011 | 222 | 43 | 24 |
| 2010 | 251 | 30 | 28 |
| 2009 | 194 | 29 | 27 |
About 2018 Data
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Police, prosecution and sentencing figures include cases of hate speech.
Hate crime recorded by police
The numbers presented here refer to police investigations initiated as hate crimes. The numbers also include incidents of hate speech, which are considered crimes under Polish penal law.
KEY OBSERVATION
ODIHR observes that Poland has not reported on hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech.
INCIDENTS REPORTED BY CIVIL SOCIETY
Racist and xenophobic hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04 | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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| 2018-02 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-03 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-12 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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| 2018-05 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-01 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-02 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-03 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-04 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-04 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-07 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-06 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-07 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-08 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
SETA
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| 2018-01 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
UNHCR
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| 2018-01 | Threats | UNHCR
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| 2018-03 | Attacks against property | UNHCR
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| 2018-03 | Attacks against property | UNHCR
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| 2018-02 | Attacks against property | UNHCR
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| 2018-03 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-03 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-03 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
SETA
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| 2018-05 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
Open Dialog Foundation
SETA
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| 2018-01 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-04 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-05 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-09 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-01 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-12 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
UNHCR
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| 2018-01 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-02 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
UNHCR
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| 2018-03 | Threats | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-10 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-03 | Attacks against property | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-10 | Attacks against property | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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| 2018-11 | Violent attacks against people | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-02 | Threats | UNHCR
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| 2018-02 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-03 | Attacks against property | UNHCR
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| 2018-03 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-01 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
SETA
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| 2018-02 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
SETA
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| 2018-03 | Threats | "Never Again" Association
SETA
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| 2018-07 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
SETA
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| 2018-10 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
SETA
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| 2018-12 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
SETA
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| 2018-05 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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Anti-Roma hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-11 | Attacks against property | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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| 2018-04 | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights
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Show info |
Anti-Semitic hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-09 | Attacks against property | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-09 | Attacks against property | UNHCR
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| 2018-12 | Attacks against property | UNHCR
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| 2018-03 | Attacks against property | UNHCR
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Anti-Muslim hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
SETA
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| 2018-12 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
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| 2018-08 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
SETA
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| 2018-11 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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| 2018-05 | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR
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Anti-Christian hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-01 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-01 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-01 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-02 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-02 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-02 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-03 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-03 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-05 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-05 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-06 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-07 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-07 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-07 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-07 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-07 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-07 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-08 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-08 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-09 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-09 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-09 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-10 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-10 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-11 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-12 | Attacks against property | Ordo Iuris Institute
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| 2018-01 | Attacks against property | OIDAC
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| 2018-02 | Attacks against property | OIDAC
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| 2018-07 | Attacks against property | OIDAC
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| 2018-07 | Violent attacks against people | OIDAC
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| 2018-08 | Attacks against property | OIDAC
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| 2018-11 | Attacks against property | OIDAC
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| 2018-09 | Violent attacks against people | Jehovah's Witnesses
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| 2018-11 | Violent attacks against people | Jehovah's Witnesses
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| 2018-10 | Violent attacks against people | Jehovah's Witnesses
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| 2018-01 | Attacks against property | Holy See
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| 2018-12 | Attacks against property | Holy See
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| 2018-05 | Attacks against property | OIDAC
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| 2018-07 | Attacks against property | OIDAC
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Gender-based hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04 | Violent attacks against people | "Never Again" Association
SETA
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Show info |
Anti-LGBTI hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-09 | Threats | Open Dialog Foundation
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| 2018-03 | Violent attacks against people | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
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| 2018-03 | Violent attacks against people | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
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| 2018 | Threats | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
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| 2018-06 | Threats | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
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| 2018-05 | Violent attacks against people | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
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Show info |
| 2018-03 | Threats | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
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Show info |
| 2018-07 | Violent attacks against people | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
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Show info |
| 2018-07 | Violent attacks against people | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
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Show info |
| 2018-07 | Violent attacks against people | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
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Show info |
| 2018-01 | Violent attacks against people | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
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Show info |
| 2018-10 | Violent attacks against people | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
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Show info |
| 2018-01 | Threats | Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH)
Lambda Warsaw
Open Dialog Foundation
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INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Anti-Roma hate crime, Anti-LGBTI hate crime
The United Nations Committee against Torture published relevant recommendations in its "Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of Poland."
Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Anti-Roma hate crime
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) published relevant recommendations in its "Concluding observations on the combined twenty-second to twenty-fourth periodic reports of Poland."