The prosecution figure is based on the numbers of cases in which suspects were charged with an offence.
The sentenced figure includes all types of resolutions, excluding cases of acquittal and where the charges were dismissed.
The breakdown below excludes offences of discrimination and hate speech, which fall outside the OSCE hate crime definition.
Norway is involved in a project led by C-REX - Center for Research on Extremism, called HATECYCLE: The life cycle of hate crimes – Patterns, responses and consequences. The project HATECYCLE will investigate the life cycle of hate crimes in Norway to improve understanding of its patterns, the societal responses to hate crime and their consequences, using these insights to guide more targeted prevention and intervention. More about the project in this link. The project period is from 2023 to 2026.
In 2023, dedicated hate crime contact points in all police districts were established, each with its own local network. In-person training was provided to all districts, traveling across the country to ensure a unified approach to hate crime investigations. In 2024, the focus was on following up with the districts, gathering feedback on additional training needs and areas for improvement.
Notable case:
In 2024, a notable hate crime case occurred in the South-West Police District, where a man with a disability was punched in the face. As a result, he fell and hit his head on the ground. He sustained multiple fractures in his face, skull, and bleeding in the brain. He underwent surgery at the hospital and was given a medical disability estimated at 75 to 100 per cent. After the incident, he became completely dependent on care. The case was registered as Serious Bodily Injury. The perpetrator was under 18 years old and sentenced to juvenile punishment for a duration of three years. The investigation succeeded in highlighting a hate motive and focused on this from the outset. The case received significant media attention and was covered by several online newspapers.
This category includes hate crimes committed with bias based on "ethnicity", which encompasses ethnic origin, skin colour and national origin.
This category includes 207 hate crimes committed with bias based on sexual orientation and 73 hate crimes committed with bias based on gender identity or gender expression.
This category presents "other" bias motivations, as reported to ODIHR without further specification.
ODIHR recognizes Norway's efforts to improve understanding of patterns, the societal responses to and consequences of hate crime. In addition, ODIHR observes that Norway would benefit from ensuring that hate crimes are addressed in a comprehensive manner, including by introducing an inter-agency 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. The authorities are therefore 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 in the area of addressing hate crimes comprehensively.
For 2024, ODIHR received reports of hate incidents in Norway from the following civil society organizations:
- The Saami Council
- Norwegian Centre against Racism
- The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC)
- European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses
To learn more about these organizations, visit the Contributors page.
All incidents submitted by the above organizations have been analysed by ODIHR. Those that were broadly considered to be hate crimes within the OSCE definition (criminal offence committed with a bias motive) are listed in the tables below according to the bias motivation category. Some incidents involved multiple biases and may be listed in multiple categories.
ODIHR’s insightsFor 2024, ODIHR received reports of 11 incidents that took place in Norway in the following bias motivation categories: racist and xenophobic, anti-Christian, anti-Muslim, and anti-LGBTI. ODIHR observes one physical assault targeting a member of the Saami minority community in Norway. Reports of an anti-Muslim incident and a racist incident were both perpetrated by neighbours of the victims. Two incidents took place after bystanders intervened when discriminatory insults were used towards a victim. In the anti-Christian incidents reported, Jehovah's Witness congregations in Norway were targeted, including when shot at with a rifle as they entered a Kingdom Hall. It should be noted that ODIHR did not receive any reporting on Norway relating to anti-Semitic, gender-based, or disability hate incidents, and a low number of incidents reported involved an anti-LGBTI bias. This indicates potential gaps in the information reported here. |
Please note that incidents reported here are based on voluntary civil society submissions and as such might not reflect the actual number of incidents or the most targeted communities in Norway.
To address under-reporting, ODIHR encourages any civil society organizations or groups that monitor hate incidents in Norway to report these to ODIHR at hatecrimereport@odihr.pl.
To export an Excel sheet with summaries of all incidents from Norway click here and search by year and country.