Slovakia

Slovakia regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Slovakia has implemented ODIHR's Training Against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE) programme since 2017 and the Prosecutors and Hate Crime Training (PAHCT) programme since 2018. In 2018, the Ministry of Interior co-organized with ODIHR and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights a workshop on understanding and improving hate crime recording and data collection, based on ODIHR's Information Against Hate Crimes Toolkit (INFAHCT). There is a high degree of hate crime specialization in both police and prosecutor structures in Slovakia.      

The Committee for the Prevention and Elimination of Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Semitism, and Other Forms of Intolerance was established as a Government advisory body. The Committee established working groups on hate speech on the internet and anti-Semitism, in line with the Memorandum on Cooperation between the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic and the Federation of Jewish Communities in Slovakia. The working groups include representatives of the police and prosecutor's office, as well as civil society organizations focusing on human rights, anti-Roma racism, and anti-Semitism. 

Hate crime data collection in Slovakia
Support for hate crime victims in Slovakia
Hate crime capacity building in Slovakia
Slovakia's hate crime legislation
Download the 2015 hate crime report for Slovakia

OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES

Year Hate crimes recorded by police Prosecuted Sentenced
2023 46 Not available 5
2022 28 16 12
2021 20 13 15
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

Hate crime recorded by police

National developments

The Slovak Government approved a National Action Plan for the Prevention and elimination of racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance for the period 2016-2018. The main objective of the Action Plan is to prevent prejudices, stereotypes and hate speech resulting from national, racial, ethnic, religious or similar intolerance, as well as to prevent the spread of attitudes and actions resulting from racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance, including hate crimes.

KEY OBSERVATION

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

INCIDENTS REPORTED BY CIVIL SOCIETY

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Anti-Roma hate crime, Anti-LGBTI hate crime

The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, in the annual activity report following his country visit to Slovakia, recommended including gender identity as a protected characteristic in the criminal code. The Commissioner also expressed concern at the manifestations of intolerance against Roma and Sinti people, and called on the authorities to improve the registration of hate crimes, including through the training of police.