More co-operation between civil society and government needed to better combat hate crimes against the disabled, Oslo seminar participants agree

Greater co-operation between civil society, law enforcement agencies and government institutions is needed to improve responses to hate-motivated crimes against people with disabilities, participants said at a regional seminar co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Oslo on 4 June 2013.

The seminar, which was organized with support of Norway’s Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombudsperson, brought together 20 participants from the police, national human rights institutions and disability organizations in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. They highlighted challenges people face in reporting hate crime incidents and agreed upon concrete steps to find better responses and increase awareness.

“Dialogue and co-operation between civil society, the police and national human rights institutions is vital in ensuring that OSCE commitments on hate crime are fully implemented by participating States,” said Joanna Perry, a Hate Crimes Officer at ODHIR.

Eli Knosen, Senior Adviser to the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombudsperson in Norway, said: “The right knowledge and skills, accurate recording and police support for victims, as well as quality and efficiency in criminal proceedings, are needed to combat hate crimes against disabled people.”

ODIHR's annual hate crime report for 2011, published in November 2012, demonstrated significant gaps in information on hate-motivated crimes against people with disabilities. Only two participating States – Germany and the United Kingdom – reported data on hate crimes against disabled people to ODIHR.