This page provides information on the national frameworks to address hate crime in Hungary. The information provided here should be viewed alongside data presented on Hungary's hate crime report page.

Hate crime recording and data collection

TWhile Hungary has a general victim support system, there is no state support provided specifically to hate crime victims. There are no legal provisions specifically related to hate crime victims. The state victim support system operates under the professional guidance and supervision of the Ministry of Justice and rests on three pillars: the Victim Support Services, the Victim Support Centres, and the Victim Support Hotline (116 006). In Hungary, there are 20 regional Victim Support Services, 20 Victim Support Centres and, as of March 2026, 7 Victim Support Points operating all over the country.
Victims of hate crimes can obtain psychological support (emotional and crisis intervention), practical support, basic legal counselling, free interpretation, and financial compensation. In 2021, an opt-out system of victim support was introduced for victims of several types of crimes. Consequently, victim support services automatically contact victims unless they explicitly refuse to have their personal data shared. Hate crime victims are not covered by this policy, unless they fall into one of the categories mentioned in the law (namely, victims of violent crimes, sexual abuse, harassment, robbery, and theft).
Medical support is provided through regular emergency services. There are victim protection specialists in law enforcement and the courts, but they do not provide specific support to hate crime victims. The Ministry of Justice operates a victim support helpline available at all times. General support to victims is also provided by the White Ring Association – a civil society organization (CSO) that is funded by the state. There are no quality standards related to the provision of victim support services.
Some CSOs provide specialized support to hate crime victims, but their services are not integrated into the overall victim support system. They do not receive state financing but are funded either by the European Commission or international private donors. These specialized service providers operate mainly in the capital and have limited outreach in the regions. Such providers offer legal assistance, psychological and social support, and also accompany victims to the police station or court hearings.
The procedure for conducting individual needs assessments (INAs) is institutionalized. However, the INA forms used by police do not relate specifically to hate crime victims. There is no guidance on how to use the INA form, but some police officers have been trained on this by CSOs. Through an INA, a victim may be granted the status of a victim in need of special treatment, and thus requires support. Both the public Victim Support Service and the network of victim support centres operate only upon victims' requests, and in order to access the services victims may need to prove that criminal proceedings have been initiated. A 'promotion of interest enforcement' service is available regardless of the initiation of criminal proceedings, and includes information, emotional assistance, translation and interpretation assistance, legal advice and other assistance, and also provides protected shelter. The police are obliged to inform victims about the support offered by public providers. There is no systematic exchange of information between the police, public victim support services and specialized support providers. When a victim contacts the Victim Support Service, their needs must be assessed immediately and tailored services offered to them. If the victim contacts the victim support service in person, the individual assessment of the victim is delivered in person; otherwise, the individual assessment must be conducted using the quickest means possible, such as by phone or e-mail.
The police have a hate crime protocol that requires the sensitive and respectful treatment of hate crime victims, but there is no guidance on applying this principle in practice. There are special interviewing rooms at police stations for victims in need of special treatment. There is also an Independent Police Complaint Board, and victims can turn to the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights or the Equal Treatment Authority if their treatment is discriminatory or degrading due to their membership in a particular social group.
The police have also developed measures to ensure that the principles and practices for the sensitive and respectful treatment of hate crime victims are implemented. In the case of suspected hate incidents, the police officer is required to take or initiate measures within their remit as a matter of urgency in order to defuse a potentially dangerous situation and prevent the commission of bias crimes. In the presence of those involved in hate incidents or hate crimes, police are required to refrain from statements either denying or confirming that a hate crime has occurred.
All victims have the right to submit evidence, file motions and observations, address the court in the course of closing arguments, attend the trial and other procedural acts, inspect case documents, be informed about the rights and obligations in a criminal proceeding by the court, the prosecution service, or the investigating authority, seek legal remedy, make use of assistance of an aide, enforce a civil claim and act as a private prosecuting party or a substitute private prosecuting party. Victims are also entitled to make a statement, at any time, regarding any physical or mental harm or pecuniary loss they suffered as a result of the criminal offence, and whether they wish the defendant to be convicted and punished. Victims must be informed about major developments in their case and judicial authorities are obliged to ensure the information is understood, including through the use of interpreters. 
All vulnerable victims of crime can make use of protection measures when testifying in court, such as restricting the right of any party at the court proceedings, confidential treatment of personal data, using video conference equipment, facilitating involvement of a person of trust, or taking into account the personal needs of a victim in planning and performing procedural acts. They also have the right to a separate waiting area, to be accompanied during the trial and to receive a copy of the trial records. State compensation is limited to violent intentional crimes, but victims may act as private parties and claim compensation from the perpetrator (or the state, if impossible to execute from the perpetrator's property) in a civil procedure.    

Hate crime victim support

While Hungary has a general victim support system, there is no state support provided specifically to hate crime victims. There are no legal provisions specifically related to hate crime victims.

Victims of hate crimes can use the services of the general Victim Support Service, which is integrated with district and government county offices. There also exists a network of victim support centres, but these are limited to the four largest cities. Victims can obtain general psychological support, basic legal counselling, free interpretation, and financial compensation. In 2021, an opt-out system of victim support was introduced for victims of several types of crimes. Victim support services automatically contact victims unless they explicitly refuse to have their personal data shared. Hate crime victims are not covered by this policy, unless they fall into one of the categories mentioned in the law (namely, violent crimes, sexual abuse, harassment, robbery, and theft).

Medical support is provided through regular emergency services. There are victim protection specialists in law enforcement and the courts, but they do not provide specific support to hate crime victims. The Ministry of Justice operates a victim support helpline available at all times. General support to victims is also provided by the White Ring Association – a civil society organization (CSO) that is funded by the state. There are no quality standards related to the provision of victim support services.

Some CSOs provide specialized support to hate crime victims, but their services are not integrated into the overall victim support scheme. They are funded either by the European Commission or international private donors and do not receive state financing. The specialized service providers operate mainly in the capital and have limited outreach in the regions. Such providers offer legal assistance, psychological and social support, and also accompany victims to the police station or court hearings.

The procedure for conducting individual needs assessments (INAs) is institutionalized. However, the INA forms used by police do not specifically relate to hate crime victims. There is no guidance on how to use the INA form, but some police officers have been trained on the matter by CSOs. Through an INA, a victim may be granted the status of a victim in need of special treatment, and thus requires support. Both the public Victim Support Service and the network of victim support centres operate only upon victims' requests, and victims may need to prove that criminal proceedings have been initiated. The police are obliged to inform victims about the support offered by public providers. There is no systematic exchange of information between the police, public victim support services and specialized support providers. 

The police have a hate crime protocol that requires the sensitive and respectful treatment of hate crime victims, but there is no guidance on applying this principle in practice. There are special interviewing rooms at police stations for victims in need of special treatment. There is also an Independent Police Complaint Board, and victims can turn to the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights or the Equal Treatment Authority if their treatment is discriminatory or degrading due to their membership in a particular social group.

The police have also developed measures to ensure that the principles and practices for the sensitive and respectful treatment of hate crime victims are implemented. In the case of suspected hate incidents, the police officer is required to take or initiate measures within their remit as a matter of urgency in order to defuse a potentially dangerous situation and prevent the commission of bias crimes. In the presence of those involved in hate incidents or hate crimes, police are required to refrain from statements either denying or confirming that a hate crime has occurred.     

All victims have the right to submit evidence, file motions and observations, address the court in the course of closing arguments, attend the trial and other procedural acts, inspect case documents, be informed about the rights and obligations in a criminal proceeding by the court, the prosecution service, or the investigating authority, seek legal remedy, make use of assistance of an aide, enforce a civil claim and act as a private prosecuting party or a substitute private prosecuting party. Victims are also entitled to make a statement, at any time, regarding any physical or mental harm or pecuniary loss they suffered as a result of the criminal offence, and whether they wish the defendant to be convicted and punished. Victims must be informed about major developments in their case and judicial authorities are obliged to ensure the information is understood, including through the use of interpreters. 

All vulnerable victims of crime can make use of protection measures when testifying in court, such as restricting the right of any party at the court proceedings, confidential treatment of personal data, using video conference equipment, facilitating involvement of a person of trust, or taking into account the personal needs of a victim in planning and performing procedural acts. They also have the right to a separate waiting area, to be accompanied during the trial and to receive a copy of the trial records. State compensation is limited to violent intentional crimes, but victims may act as private parties and claim compensation from the perpetrator (or the state, if impossible to execute from the perpetrator's property) in a civil procedure. 

Hate crime capacity building

Participants in basic police training acquire knowledge about hate crimes and how to support victims before they enter service. Specific elements focus on anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes, as well as hate crimes targeting LGBTQ communities.
The training on hate crimes is part of the training structure of the National Office for the Judiciary (OBH), and has been integrated into the training programme for judges and court staff. Based on the training plan issued by the President of the OBH, the Training Department of the Hungarian Academy of Justice of the OBH is responsible for implementing training activities. On the CooSpace electronic training platform operated by the OBH, known as the Knowledge Base , judges, assistant judges and trainee judges, regardless of their field of specialization, have free access to video presentations and e-learning materials on the subject. The following relevant training elements on addressing hate crimes are listed in this database: 
•    Hate crime in general;
•    Incitement against a member of the community;
•    Issues of sentencing, with particular reference to specific rules of conduct;
•    The concept of the Holocaust in international documents;
•    Investigation of hate crimes;
•    The background to hate crimes and relevant proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights;
•    Criminal proceedings relating to hate crime cases;
•    Substantive and evidentiary issues of hate crimes;
•    The prohibition of racial discrimination in international and EU law, and the transposition of the prohibition into Hungarian law; and
•    Equal treatment legislation in EU law.
The annual training and professional development plan of the prosecution service includes trainings on combating hate crimes for all prosecutors, junior prosecutors, trainee prosecutors, and legal assistants. 
Participants attend lectures and case reviews delivered by experts in the field and receive briefings on the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as on the activities of the Working Group against Hate Crimes (GYEM). The latter is an umbrella organization formed of Hungarian civil society organizations active in the field of combating hate crime, in whose work a prosecutor has also participated.

Presentations and, where available, video recordings of lectures from trainings, consultations, and conferences are made accessible to all staff members via the intranet of the prosecution service.