Italy

ODIHR’s insights

For 2024, ODIHR received reports of 253 incidents that took place in Italy in the following bias motivation categories: anti-Christian, anti-LGBTI, anti-Muslim, and anti-Semitic. In addition, several incidents involved multiple biases, such as anti-LGBTI and gender-based, racist and xenophobic and anti-Semitic, and racist and xenophobic and anti-LGBTI. 

ODIHR observes that in the anti-Semitic incidents reported, Rabbis, Jewish journalists and Jewish organizations were targeted with anti-Semitic threats and harassing behaviour; some of the incidents took place online. Visibly Jewish people (e.g., wearing a Star of David necklace) were targeted in physical assaults. Several incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism contained references to the conflict in the Middle East. ODIHR also noted that the majority of anti-Christian incidents reported concerned damage to property, including theft, vandalism and desecration; however, a couple of serious assaults targeting Catholic priests were also noted. Several of the anti-LGBTI incidents reported were perpetrated by family members of the victims. Incidents involving both gender-based and anti-LGBTI bias targeted trans people, mainly in violent physical assaults. Of the racist and xenophobic incidents reported, many were physical assaults targeting people due to their skin colour that took place in public. In one notable incident, a group of approximately 100 men kicked down the entrance door to an asylum centre and physically assaulted 18 young men living there. Several food delivery drivers were also targeted in racist incidents. Two incidents of vandalism included anti-Semitic, anti-Roma, and transphobic graffiti. 

It should be noted that ODIHR received a low level of reporting on anti-Muslim incidents and did not receive any reporting on anti-Roma or disability hate incidents in Italy. This indicates potential gaps in the information reported here.