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. In 2023, ODIHR delivered online training sessions for employees of crime victim information offices from across the country, focusing on the sensitive and respectful treatment of hate crime victims, particularly on the specific needs of vulnerable groups such as Roma and Sinti and LGBTI+ community members.
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 the prosecutor's office, as well as civil society organizations focusing on human rights, anti-Roma racism, and anti-Semitism.
OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES
| Year | Hate crimes recorded by police | Prosecuted | Sentenced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | 5 | 4 |
| 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 |
About 2024 Data
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Police data refer to the number of initiated police investigations or charges brought for a particular crime involving bias indicators, pursuant to Article 140 (e) of Slovakia's Criminal Code.
Sentencing figures represent the number of persons sentenced for offences where a 'specific hate motive' was indicated, pursuant to Article 140(e) of Slovakia's Criminal Code.
Hate crime recorded by police
The breakdown below presents the number of bias motivations and not the number of incidents recorded (one incident can involve more than one bias motivation).
KEY OBSERVATION
ODIHR recognizes Slovakia's efforts to enhance cooperation between law enforcement and victim support organizations. In addition, ODIHR observes that Slovakia would benefit from further developing its victim support system to ensure effective access to justice, assistance, and protection for hate crime victims.
ODIHR recalls that in Ministerial Council Decision 9/09, OSCE participating States committed to collecting reliable data and statistics in sufficient detail on hate crimes and to reporting such data periodically to ODIHR. Furthermore, participating States committed to providing hate crime victims with access to counselling and legal assistance, effective access to justice, as well as to ensuring positive interactions between police and hate crime victims by training front-line officers, including on providing referrals for victim assistance and protection.
ODIHR stands ready to support Slovakia 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 and assistance in the area of hate crime victim support.
OVERVIEW OF INCIDENTS REPORTED BY CIVIL SOCIETY
For 2024, ODIHR received reports of hate incidents in Slovakia from the following civil society organizations:
- Human Rights League
- Jehovah’s Witnesses
- The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC)
- Islamic Foundation in Slovakia
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 seven incidents that took place in Slovakia in the following bias motivation categories: racist and xenophobic, and anti-Christian. ODIHR observes that two of the racist and xenophobic incidents reported in Slovakia targeted Ukrainian refugees, while a third targeted an Asian victim and linked them to the Covid-19 pandemic. Three of the anti-Christian incidents targeted Jehovah's Witnesses. It should be noted that ODIHR did not receive any reporting on Slovakia related to anti-Roma, anti-LGBTI, gender-based, or disability hate incidents. 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 Slovakia.
To address under-reporting, ODIHR encourages any civil society organizations or groups that monitor hate incidents in Slovakia to report these to ODIHR at hatecrimereport@odihr.pl.
To export an Excel sheet with summaries of all incidents from Slovakia click here and search by year and country.
CIVIL SOCIETY INCIDENT SUMMARIES
Racist and xenophobic hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07 | Violent attacks against people | Human Rights League
|
Show info |
| 2024-08 | Violent attacks against people | Human Rights League
|
Show info |
| 2024-09 | Violent attacks against people | Human Rights League
|
Show info |
Anti-Christian hate crime
| Date | Type of incident | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02 | Threats/Harassment | Jehovah's Witnesses
|
Show info |
| 2024-03 | Threats/Harassment | Jehovah's Witnesses
|
Show info |
| 2024-03 | Threats/Harassment | Jehovah's Witnesses
|
Show info |
| 2024-09 | Threats/Harassment | OIDAC
|
Show info |