From this overall figure, in 141 cases the extremist motive could not be confirmed. 50 further cases represented discrimination or hate speech crimes and were therefore not included in the breakdown below, bringing the final figure of hate crimes reported in 2012 to 129.
Official figures record 73 hate crimes motivated by racism and xenophobia. Of these, 14 were assaults, 13 cases of damage to property, 18 threats and 28 cases of harrassment.
Official figures record 15 anti-Semitic crimes.
This number includes propaganda crimes.
Official figures record twelve crimes motivated by bias against Muslims.
This number includes propaganda crimes.
Official figures record six crimes motivated by anti-religious bias. Of these, five targeted Christians and one Jehova’s witnesses.
This number includes propaganda crimes.
Official figures record 32 crimes motivated by bias on the basis of sexual orientation. Of these, 20 were physical assaults, five cases of threats and seven cases of harassment.
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) recommended that Denmark ensure the application of aggravating circumstances for bias motivation, where relevant, and are setting up a monitoring system on the use of such provisions and instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions obliging prosecutors to raise racist motivation of a criminal offence in court.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) issued an opinion in the case of Mahali Dawas and Yousef Shava v. Denmark examining the state duty to take effective action against acts of discrimination and to provide effective remedies in relation to adequate investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. The case concerned a family of Iraqi immigrants in Denmark who were subjected to repeated racist abuse in their housing complex, culminating in a crowd entering their residence and assaulting them. The Committee found that the subsequent police investigation and prosecution failed to adequately investigate the potential bias motivations of the crime under the obligations of the treaty.
ODIHR observes that Denmark has not reported on the numbers of prosecuted cases or information on sentenced hate crime cases to ODIHR.