ODIHR brings together police and prosecutors in Bulgaria at training event on addressing hate crimes

New ways to effectively co-operate in countering hate crimes were the focus of a training course for 25 police officers and prosecutors from Bulgaria, including 13 women and 12 men, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Sofia on 22 and 23 January 2018.

“Our experience shows that good co-operation between police forces and prosecutors is instrumental in recognizing and countering hate crimes. This joint training strengthens the collaboration between these actors in Bulgaria, using ODIHR’s existing curricula customized to the country’s needs and reality,” said Tome Shekerdjiev, Project Manager at ODIHR.

The training was implemented in co-operation with the Bulgaria’s General Prosecutors’ Office and the National Institute of Justice.

“Joint police and prosecutor-oriented training brings added value to traditional approaches towards training on hate crimes, because it provides a unique opportunity for the two professional groups to exchange experiences in countering such crimes, in order to improve their co-operation in this area,” said trainer Maria Theresa Verdugo Moreno, who works as Special Prosecutor for Hate Crimes in Málaga, Spain. “A better understanding of hate crime issues among police and prosecutors leads to better responses.”

The event launched 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. Similar courses will be organized in the Veliko Tarnovo and Plovdiv regions. The project aims to address hate crimes through criminal justice systems and is financed by the European Commission and the United States.