OSCE Mission to Moldova trains lawyers and police to effectively address hate crimes
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Fifty-five defence attorneys and police officers strengthened their capacity to identify and effectively address bias-motivated offences at training sessions conducted by the OSCE Mission to Moldova in Chisinau, Comrat and Vadul-lui-Vodă between 21 and 27 November 2018.
The training sessions are part of the Mission’s work to support the country’s Government in building a tolerant society and advancing policies that make Moldova’s diversity a tangible strength.
During the sessions, the participants improved their understanding of the complex phenomenon of hate crime and its damaging effects on the targeted groups and communities. The seminars were based on both national legislation and on international standards and good practices. They offered opportunities for group work and practical exercises.
“Some might think that bias-motivated offences are not very widespread in our society, but unfortunately, such cases do happen and lawyers should be prepared to correctly handle them. This training event was really inspiring for me and I will gladly share my new knowledge with my colleagues,” said a lawyer from Tiraspol, who attended the training event in Comrat.
The training sessions build on a series of similar seminars for representatives of law enforcement agencies that were successfully piloted by the Mission in Bălţi and Cahul, Moldova’s north and south, in 2017. The seminars focused on data collection and recording methods and sought to improve qualification of bias-motivated crimes.
According to the OSCE/ODIHR Hate Crime Report released on 16 November 2018, 17 cases of hate crimes were recorded by law enforcement agencies in Moldova in 2017 compared to five in 2016, and none in 2015. More detailed information on these bias-motivated crimes is available on the OSCE/ODIHR Hate Crime Reporting website: http://hatecrime.osce.org/