Publications

This factsheet provides key information about the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), its mandate and its areas of activity.

Hate Crime Victim Support: Policy Brief Hate Crime Victim Support: Policy Brief This policy brief condenses the knowledge and key findings of the Enhancing Stakeholder Awareness and Resources for Hate Crime Victim Support (EStAR) project implemented by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions

This Compendium has been created by the the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in partnership with the Association of Counselling Centers for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist and Antisemitic Violence in Germany (VBRG).

Hate crime victims require access to specialist support services. These services should be victim-centred, needs-based and diversity-sensitive. They should include practical help, emotional and psychosocial support, advice relating to legal and financial issues and community engagement. Such specialist support services for hate crime victims should be free of charge, confidential and form an integral part of a comprehensive hate crime response.

The curriculum provides a step-by-step description of how to conduct training for police, prosecutors and judges on the sensitive and respectful treatment of hate crime victims. It aims to improve their knowledge and skills on how to respond to and interact with hate crime victims and by doing so, empower victims, prevent re-victimization and build a sense of trust in the criminal justice process. The curriculum has been developed in a modular structure, enabling trainers to integrate relevant modules into various training programmes.

This policy brief provides an overview of the concrete steps and measures governments can take to establish or strengthen structural arrangements to make a comprehensive and needs-based hate crime victim support system a reality.

The Diagnostic Tool is a practical tool for assessing shortcomings and strengths in national hate crime victim support structures and services. The primary purpose of the Tool is to enable hate crime victim support practitioners, officials, activists and policymakers to identify areas in their national systems that require improvement to enhance protection and support for victims of hate crime.

The objective of this compendium is to illustrate the main features of an effective individual needs assessment (INA) of hate crime victims, using existing practices and initiatives that have been developed in relation to different aspects of INAs in countries covered by ODIHR's EStAR project. The publication shows that a more robust approach to developing an INA as an essential post-victimization tool is necessary, and that greater recognition is required of the importance and utility of this tool in securing victims’ rights and enabling their access to relevant services to address needs.

Intolerance and discrimination have affected Roma and Sinti communities for centuries, and continue to be a concern in the OSCE region, including harmful discourse and stereotyping. Too often, this intolerance can morph into anti-Roma hate crimes, ranging from anti-Roma graffiti to racially-motivated violence. Hate crime has a significant, long-lasting impact on victims, perpetuates inequality, and undermines security and social cohesion. Anti- Roma hate crimes send a message of exclusion not only to Roma and Sinti victims and their communities, but society as a whole. Everyone has a role to play in addressing anti-Roma hate crimes and all forms of intolerance and discrimination. This factsheet highlights the impact of anti-Roma hate crime and provides guidance on identifying such crimes.

Hate crimes motivated by racism and xenophobia can take a range of forms, targeting people from diverse groups across the OSCE region. While some communities are particularly vulnerable, any ethnic or racial group can be the target of racism.