OSCE/ODIHR trains Italian police and Carabinieri officers on combatting hate crimes

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) trained Italian law-enforcement officers on addressing hate-motivated violence at six workshops held at the Carabinieri Senior Officers College and the National Police Senior Officers College in Rome on 10 and 11 February 2014.

The training, organized in co-operation with the Observatory for Security Against Discriminatory Acts (OSCAD), was part of ODIHR’s Training Against Hate Crimes for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE) programme. In total, 160 police and Carabinieri officers learned more about responding to and investigating hate crimes, as well as about applicable national legislation and international standards.

“The Italian authorities have made a strong commitment to fighting hate crime, including through the implementation of the TAHCLE programme,” said Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, Director of ODIHR. “This training will provide Italian law enforcement officers with a strong technical background and the skills necessary to respond effectively to hate crimes.”

Prefect Francesco Cirillo, Italy’s Deputy Director General of Public Security and Director General of Criminal Police, said: “The effective prevention of and fight against every form of discrimination and bias-motivated violence requires a comprehensive approach. Co-operation allowing for the exchange of best practices and knowledge gained by international organizations in this field – particularly OSCE/ODIHR – is vital.”

Italy is the sixth OSCE participating State to implement the TAHCLE programme, launched in 2011. Law enforcement officers in Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Poland and Ukraine have already benefitted from the training, which is tailored to the specific situation in their countries.