Spain | HCRW

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.

In 2023, Spain implemented a new national Strategic Framework against racism and xenophobia

SELECT YEAR

Download the 2015 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 2015 Data

The figure presented here includes 17 hate crimes motivated by "fear of the poor" and 308 hate crimes motivated by ideology. These categories fall outside of the OSCE concept of hate crimes and are therefore not included in the breakdown by bias motivation below.

Download official data

National developments

In 2015, Spain introduced two new categories for recorded hate incidents to include "Ideology" and "Sex and Gender". These were introduced among the other hate and discrimination incidents in the "Statistic System of Criminality."

The Spanish Institute of Women and for Equal Opportunities (IWEO) published a Practical Guide: How to deal with discrimination cases and hate crimes. This guide, available in English, comes in two versions: one for the public and one for professionals working on hate crime issues.

The Secretary General of Immigration and Emigration of the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, through the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia, has implemented the project "Training for the Prevention and Detection of Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance at School" (FRIDA Project).

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 organizations and the Holy See

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Reports

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

The Cabinet of Social Studies (GES) reported three physical assaults, including one which caused serious injuries, and two incidents of vandalism. The Union of Islamic Communities of Spain reported two physical assaults.

Anti-Semitic hate crime

The Observatory for Freedom of Religion and Conscience reported two incidents of vandalism.

Anti-Muslim hate crime

The Union of Islamic Communities of Spain, the Observatory for Freedom of Religion and Conscience and the Civic Platform Against Islamophobia reported two incidents of vandalism targeting a mosque and a cultural centre. The Cabinet of Social studies (GES), the Union the Civic Platform reported one physical assault and one case of vandalism. The GES and the Union reported one additional physical assault.

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

Transgender Europe reported the murder of a transgender person. FELGBT reported four physical assaults, targeting three men and a woman. The Cabinet of Social Studies (GES) reported two physical assaults, including one committed by a group, and one threat.

Hate crime against Christians and members of other religions

The Observatory for Freedom of Religion and Conscience reported two physical assaults; one theft; nine incidents of the desecration of graves, including four that involved theft; one arson attack on a church; one attempted arson attack, also targeting a church; one incident of damage to property; and 12 incidents of graffiti.

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

Following its Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the Spanish authorities made the commitment to examine and respond to recommendations to continue efforts to counter, effectively investigate and punish hate crimes.

In its "Concluding observations on the twenty-first to twenty-third periodic reports periodic reports of Georgia", the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) commended the country for its progress in the collection of hate crime data and the appointment of specialized prosecutors.