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  • Racist violence - Hate Speech Statistics
    • Overall numbers of racist & hate crime

      Qualitative Info

      In 2009, the police recorded 858 reports of an offence containing suspected offence/offences motivated by racism. The most common types of incidents were verbal insults and threats or harassment (290), assault and battery (373) and damage to property (86).

       

      In 2009, the police recorded 83 reports of an offence containing suspected offence/offences motivated by the victim's religion. Victim was a Christian in 44 incidents, a Muslim in 14 and a Jew in 10 incidents. Verbal insults and threats or harassment (35) were the most common type of incident, followed by damage to property (21).

       

      In 2009, the police recorded 32 reports of an offence containing suspected offence/offences motivated by the victim’s disability. The most common type of incident included verbal insults and threats or harassment (13). Assaults (7) were the next common type.

       

      In 2009, the police recorded 31 reports of offence containing suspected offence/offences motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Assaults were the most common type of incident (16) and verbal insults and threats or harassment the next common type of incident (12).

       

      (Source: Hate Crime reported to the Police in 2009)

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    • Deaths/killings

      No reported cases of death/killings.

      Qualitative Info

      No reported cases of death/killings.

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    • Court cases on racist - hate crime

      Qualitative Info

      Data on how many times the courts have applied the provision on aggravating circumstances due to racist motive is not available.

       

      In 2010, the district courts passed a judgement in four cases of ethnic agitation in 2010 (source: Finnish League for Human Rights)

       

      In 2009, there were 1007 suspected hate crime cases reported to the police. The number is 17 per cent higher than in 2008, when 859 cases were identified. In 2009, altogether 85 per cent of the reports were classified as cases of suspected racist crime. Cases of hate crime motivated by the religious background of the victim constituted 8 per cent, hate crime motivated by sexual orientation 3 per cent, and hate crime motivated by disability constituted 3 per cent of all reported cases.

       

      Groups affected/interested

      • Migrants
      • Refugees
      • Roma & Travelers
      • Muslims
      • Ethnic minorities
      • Religious minorities
      • Linguistic minorities
      • Majority
      • Asylum seekers
      • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
      • Persons with disability
      • Africans/black people
      • National minorities

      Key socio-economic / Institutional Areas

      • Policing - law enforcement
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  • Discrimination Statistics
    • Complaints regarding ethnic discrimination received by Equality Body/Agency/Court

      Qualitative Info

      The Office of the Ombudsman for Minorities handled 258 customer contacts in 2010. The contacts concerned discrimination on the ground of race or ethnic origin outside working life. The largest ethnic groups contactiing the office were Roma (76), Russians (63), Somali (35) and the Sámi (34).

       

      In 2010, the National Discrimination Tribunal handled 12 discrimination cases on the ground of race or ethnic origin outside workinglife.

      Groups affected/interested

      • Migrants
      • Refugees
      • Roma & Travelers
      • Ethnic minorities
      • Linguistic minorities
      • Asylum seekers
      • Africans/black people
      • National minorities

      Key socio-economic / Institutional Areas

      • Anti-discrimination
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    • Number of cases where ethnic discrimination was found/established by Equality Body/Agency/Court

      Qualitative Info

      In 2010, the National Discrimination Tribunal of Finland issued one prohibitive decision on ethnic discrimination outside workinglife.

       

      In 2010, district courts handled two cases of extortionate work discrimination in which the discrimination ground was ethnic origin. In both cases discrimination was established. (Source: Finnish League for Human Rights)

       

      In 2010, the district courts handled four work discrimination cases in which the discrimination ground was ethnic origin. Only in one case discrimination was established. (Source: Finnish League for Human Rights)

       

      In 2010, district courts handled 10 discrimination cases in which the discrimination ground was ethnic origin. The courts established discrimination in 4 cases. (Source: Finnish League for Human Rights)

      Groups affected/interested

      • Migrants
      • Refugees
      • Roma & Travelers
      • Muslims
      • Ethnic minorities
      • Religious minorities
      • Asylum seekers
      • Africans/black people
      • National minorities

      Key socio-economic / Institutional Areas

      • Policing - law enforcement
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    • Cases solved / corrected / settled
    • Sanctions imposed / compensations / awards attributed-received

      Qualitative Info

      In 2010, district courts handled two cases of extortionate work discrimination in which the discrimination ground was ethnic origin. In both cases the defendant was found guilty. In one case, the defendant was ordered to pay 50 day-fines amounting to 1750 euro. In the other case, the defendant was sentenced to 5 months imprisonment (probational) and to pay the victim 70 652 euro in previously unpaid wages. (Source: Finnish League for Human Rights)

       

      In 2010, the district courts handled four work discrimination cases in which the discrimination ground was ethnic origin. The defendants were found guilty in two cases. One defendand was ordered to pay 20 day-fines amounting to 280 euro. The court decided to not order any fines in the other case. (Source: Finnish League for Human Rights)

       

      In 2010, district courts handled 10 discrimination cases in which the discrimination ground was ethnic origin. The defendants were found guilty in four cases and they were ordered to pay 15-30 dayfines amounting to 90-870 euro. (Source: Finnish League for Human Rights).

      Groups affected/interested

      • Migrants
      • Refugees
      • Roma & Travelers
      • Muslims
      • Ethnic minorities
      • Religious minorities
      • Linguistic minorities
      • Asylum seekers
      • Africans/black people
      • National minorities

      Key socio-economic / Institutional Areas

      • Policing - law enforcement
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    • ECtHR cases - decisions art.14 etc.

      Qualitative Info

      In 2011-2007, the ECtHR heard three cases in which applicants claimed a violation of Article 14. The court did not find any violations of Article 14 per se.

       

      In case of Vilho Eskelinen and others v. Finland the court found a violation of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 taken alone or in conjunction with Article 14 of the Convention. The case concerned the applicants' wages as police officers. They were all Finnish nationals. (Application no. 63235/00, 19 April 2007)

       

      Case of Johansson v. Finland concerned the right of parents to register a name chosen for their son. The court found that there has been a violation of Article 8 of the Convention, but the court did not examine the applicant's complaint under Article 14. (Application no. 10163/02, 6 September 2007).

       

      Case of Gronmark v. Finland concerned a woman who was unable to have her biological father's paternity legally established due to the five-year time-limit set in national legislation for children born before the entry into force of the Paternity Act in 1976. The court found that there has been a violation of Article 8 of the Convention, but did not examine the applicant's complaint under Article 14. (Application no. 17038/04, 6 July  2010)

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    • Cases - investigations before other EU and international bodies (European Committee for Social Rights - UN HRC - CAT etc.)

      Qualitative Info

      No discrimination cases have been heard by EU or other international bodies during the last five years.

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    • Decisions-Infringment procedures initiated before the European Court of Justice

      No.

      Qualitative Info

      In 2007-2011, the European Court of Justice has not initiated infringement procedures or given decisions on issues relating to migrant and minority freedoms and rights for Finland.

       

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