Romania | HCRW

Romania regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. The Ministry of Administration and Interior, the police, the Prosecutor's Office and the Superior Council of Magistracy collect hate crime data.

In 2016, Romania implemented ODIHR's Training Against Hate Crimes for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE) Programme. A specialized hate crime unit was created in the Romanian Police in 2021.

Amendments to the Criminal Code introduced in 2023 set out the constituent elements of hate crimes and the protected grounds therein.

SELECT YEAR

Download the 2014 hate crime report for Romania

OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES

Year	Hate crimes recorded by police	Prosecuted	Sentenced
2023	95	252	239
2022	59	129	16
2021	7	54	128
2020	Not available	Not available	Not available
2019	Not available	Not available	Not available
2018	2	2	33
2017	1	0	8
2016	10	21	50
2015	15	24	59
2014	25	20	Not available
2013	Not available	4	Not available
2012	Not available	Not available	Not available
2011	Not available	Not available	Not available
2010	Not available	Not available	Not available
2009	Not available	1	Not available

About 2014 Data

Prosecution figure refers to cases of threats via the Internet. Data reported to ODIHR no longer include cases of hate speech.

Hate crime recorded by police

National developments

A new criminal code entered into force in February 2014. The new code changed the list of protected characteristics in the general penalty-enhancement provision, making it an open-ended list.

A specialized bureau for protecting national cultural heritage was established within the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police. The special bureau is tasked with handling all activities related to addressing any manifestations of racism, xenophobia, extremism and other forms of intolerance, including hate crimes.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that Romania’s law-enforcement agencies have not recorded the bias motivations of hate crimes.

Incidents reported by civil society, international organizations and the Holy See

Download incident data

Reports

Anti-Semitic hate crime

The Center for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism in Romania reported one arson attack, in which a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a former synagogue, and one incident of damage to property, in which stones thrown broke the windows of a synagogue.

Hate crime against Christians and members of other religions

The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians reported an incident of graffiti on a church.

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

ACCEPT Association and ILGA-Europe reported a case of ongoing threats and harassment against a lesbian couple.

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Anti-Roma hate crime

In his report following a country visit to Romania, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe urged the authorities to properly record hate crimes and ensure that law enforcement officials and legal professionals are adequately and systematically trained to recognise, investigate and sanction crimes committed with a racist motive, which primarily affect Roma communities.