ODIHR training event in Bulgaria helps build co-operation between police and prosecutors in addressing hate crimes

A training course designed to improve co-operation between police officers and prosecutors in addressing hate crimes in Bulgaria was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in the city of Veliko Tarnovo on 13 and 14 February 2018.

Twenty-five police officers and prosecutors, including 16 men and 9 women, took part in the course, implemented in co-operation with Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General’s Office and the National Institute of Justice.

“With this event, we are continuing our work to improve the co-operation between law enforcement officials and prosecutors in Bulgaria to increase their effectiveness in responding to hate crimes,” said Tome Shekerdjiev, Project Manager at ODIHR. “Experience shows that good communication between these two professional groups ensures that bias-motivated crimes are investigated and prosecuted effectively.”

Trainer Salma Yousef, a prosecution barrister from the United Kingdom, said: “It is important to bring police officers and prosecutors together in order to make them realize the important role they play in combating hate crime. The joint training provides a unique opportunity to discuss and reflect on possible improvements to their daily work and practices. This brings complementarity to the criminal justice system and, hopefully, will create a better systemic response to hate crime.”

The event continues a series of activities implemented by ODIHR in Bulgaria as part of the Office’s project Building a Comprehensive Criminal Justice Response to Hate Crime. A similar training course was organized in Sofia in January 2018, and another is planned in the Plovdiv region later this year. The project is financed by the European Commission and the United States.