Slovakia

Slovakia regularly reports police data and data on sentencing to ODIHR. Slovakia's criminal code includes substantive offences and a specific penalty enhancement clause affixed to a large number of base offences. While sentencing data only comprise hate crimes, police data also include hate speech offences. The Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor's Office collect hate crime data. The data on hate crime are not made public.

Hate crime data collection in Slovakia
Support for hate crime victims in Slovakia

OFFICIAL DATA

Year Hate crimes recorded by police Prosecuted Sentenced
2020 20 16 6
2019 50 38 8
2018 41 20 15
2017 34 16 10
2016 10 9 3
2015 6 30 2
2014 3 Not available 4
2013 7 Not available 7
2012 102 Not available 16
2011 242 Not available 16
2010 Not available Not available 10
2009 132 Not available 18

National developments

Amendments to Section 140 of the Criminal Code of Slovakia on the aggravation of penalties in cases of bias-motivated crime entered into effect in 2013. The amendment includes sexual orientation among the protected characteristics listed in the provision.

The Ministry of Interior and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung organized two trainings for 50 police officers, including police officers with a Roma background, serving in areas with substantial Roma populations whose primary responsibility in autumn 2013 was to liaise between the local Roma population and the police. The trainings also addressed the issues of bias-motivated crimes and current forms of violent extremism.

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

Reports

Hate crime against Christians and members of other religions

The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians reported one incident of the desecration of a church.

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Anti-LGBTI hate crime

Initiative Otherness reported one incident that took place during Rainbow Pride, during which a large group threatened and threw eggs and bottles of water at attendees.

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INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

In its fifth report, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) observed the amendments to the Slovak Criminal Code’s aggravating circumstances provision and, in that context, reiterated the need for detailed statistical data on racist, homophobic and transphobic crimes.

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recommended that Slovakia take action to ensure the effective investigation and prosecution of hate crimes, and that the state provide the Committee with comprehensive hate crime statistics.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that the law enforcement agencies of the Slovak Republic have not recorded the bias motivations of hate crimes.