Hate crime

Hate crime means that someone has been chosen as a victim or that someone is attacked based on hostility or a bias against his or her:

race or origin

religion or beliefs

sexual orientation

transgender identity

This involves both that person's property and the person himself/herself and the person does not have to belong to a group against which this hostility is directed. In fact, anyone could become a victim of a hate crime.

Falling victim to such crime might be a particularly terrifying experience as you become a victim because of who you are or because of who the attacker thinks you are.

How could hate crimes be committed? 

Hate crimes may be committed everywhere: at home, on the street, at work, school, university, sports events or in social media

Hate crime incidents include: threatening, bullying, arson, robbery, acts of violence, property damage.

Also, such incidents involve graffiti, writing insulting texts, sharing offensive and insulting posters and leaflets in a community, insulting and offensive messages, insulting and offensive posts in social media.

Consequences of hate crimes

Nobody should live in fear and with anxiety that such crimes may cause. It can also affect people who live nearby the offended groups, especially when it seems that these persons belong to the same social group. In addition to emotional and physical damage, hate crimes may also cause financial loss to the victims of such crimes. In the most extreme cases, they may become homeless, be forced to live in a certain neighbourhood or feel so insecure that they are forced to move. Additional costs may be related to repairing the damaged property, removing graffiti, acquiring new items and increasing personal and home safety.

It is difficult to trust other people after the attack, but seeking help is very important.