Surveying unreported hate crimes in Poland in focus at ODIHR-organized meeting in Warsaw

The methodology and initial results of a study on unreported hate crimes against members of selected communities in Poland were explored by representatives of civil society, the national administration and international organizations during a meeting in Warsaw on 24 November 2017.

The event was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in partnership with the Office of the Polish Commissioner for Human Rights.

“The aim of the ODIHR study is to define the nature and scale of hate crimes affecting members of minority groups in Poland, and particularly Africans, Muslims and Ukrainians,” said Tome Shekerdjiev, ODIHR Project Manager. “This meeting provided a platform to discuss the design of the study with different stakeholders, including representatives of the surveyed communities.”

“There are many reasons for the underreporting of hate crimes,” said Magdalena Kuruś, Deputy Director of the Department of Equal Treatment at the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights. “The use of this innovative surveying method will allow us to reach the victims of hate crimes who would remain silent otherwise, and to identify the scale of the phenomenon. This is crucial to addressing the problem in a comprehensive manner.”

James Omolo, President of the Polish-based Africa Connect Foundation, said: “It is crucial that any policies against hate crimes designed at the national or international level take into consideration feedback from representatives of the affected communities. We are happy to be a part of the process.”

The study on unreported hate crimes is conducted as part of ODIHR’s “Building a Comprehensive Criminal Justice Response to Hate Crime” project. The lessons learnt will become part of a toolkit applicable throughout Europe and the broader OSCE region.