A report published today on International Tolerance Day by OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) concludes that hate crimes continue to be a serious problem in many OSCE participating States.

The report finds there were numerous instances of intimidation, threats, vandalism, assault, arson and murder during 2008 however the lack of reliable data masks the true extent of hate crimes. Some countries don’t collect any statistics on hate crimes while others collect but don’t make hate crime data publically available.

“Hate crimes have become a frequent occurrence in many participating States. But, unfortunately, the scarcity of data on these crimes makes it difficult to assess the true scope and nature of the problem and to devise effective policies to combat hate crimes,” said Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, ODIHR’s Director.

Link to OSCE Report