Spain

Spain regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. Spain publishes annual reports on hate crimes.

Spain implemented ODIHR's Training Against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE) programme in 2019, and the Prosecutor General's Office has established a network of dedicated hate crime prosecutors across the country. A regional TAHCLE in Valencia was implemented in 2016.

The Ministry of Interior has a dedicated protocol that regulates how law enforcement handles hate crime cases and sets out the specific rights of hate crime victims. Within the Ministry, the Spanish National Office Against Hate Crimes (ONDOD) is responsible for the Hate Crime Action Plan (adopted for 2019-2021 and 2022-2024). Currently, the Action Plan covers the areas of victim support, co-ordination among state authorities, civil society and the private sector, hate crime prevention, specialization within the police, training, awareness raising, and the allocation of adequate human resources in ONDOD.

Hate crime data collection in Spain
Support for hate crime victims in Spain
Hate crime capacity building in Spain
Spain's hate crime legislation
Download the 2014 hate crime report for Spain

OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES

Year Hate crimes recorded by police Prosecuted Sentenced
2023 2,268 210 157
2022 1,869 191 152
2021 1,802 192 91
2020 1401 675 144
2019 1706 Not available Not available
2018 1598 Not available Not available
2017 1419 Not available Not available
2016 1272 Not available Not available
2015 1328 Not available Not available
2014 1285 Not available Not available
2013 1168 Not available Not available
2012 261 Not available Not available
2011 224 Not available Not available
2010 92 Not available Not available
2009 93 Not available Not available

About 2014 Data

    The figure presented here includes 11 cases of hate crimes motivated by "fear of the poor" that are not included in the breakdown by bias motivation below, as these do not fall under the OSCE definition of hate crimes.

Hate crime recorded by police

National developments

The first Action Protocol for the State Security Forces on Hate Crimes has been developed by the Ministry of Interior. It provides the security forces with a list of bias indicators to focus on in order to ensure correct collection of evidence and registering of hate crimes.

The Ministry of Interior further created a function description for "Hate crime police officers". These specialists from the State Security Forces will maintain contact with civil society in order to better prevent and resolve hate crimes.

The Ministry of Employment and Social Security has begun training teachers on how to detect racist or xenophobic incidents at schools.

Spanish authorities have worked on a Practical Guide on Discrimination, to be published in July 2015, which synthesizes all available information on how and where to report hate crimes and discrimination incidents in Spain.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that Spain has not reported to ODIHR the numbers of prosecuted hate crime cases or information on sentenced hate crime cases.

INCIDENTS REPORTED BY CIVIL SOCIETY

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that the Council for Victims of Hate Crimes and Discrimination (COVIDOD) was established at the national level. It is a network of 20 civil society groups advocating for a law that guarantees legal and humanitarian assistance and protection for victims of hate crime.