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Is there an estimate or evidence that hate crime cases/incidents are under-reported disproportionately in relation to other crimes?

Code:
RED26
Key Area:
Anti-racist Crime Legislation & Implementation
Strand(s):
Racism
07/12/2011 - 11:48
Short Answer

There is no evidence, but there are estimates  that are significantly fewer cases reported  than actually occur.

Qualitative Info

The Fourth Report about Spain ECRI claims that since 2005 there have only been ten cases in which a racist motivation has been found as an aggravating circumstance. Related to the aplication of the article 510, only four cases have derived in successful judicial action since 2005. International Amnisty has also reported this (Recomendation N. 10 of the Fourth Report about Spain ECRI). The Ministry of Internal Affairs foresees much lower figures than thoses estimated by the NGO Movement agaisnt Intolerance for 2008. On the other side, the Attorney of Barcelona, Service for Hate and Discrimination Crimes talks in its Memoire about this: "It is truly believed that many of the committed crimes are not reported, with an submerged but existing number of actions that the victims  are not brave enough to report or actually ignore they can do it". Also the report "Board about Discrimination for Racial or Ethnical Origin (2010): the perception of potencial victims", elaborated by the Counseil for the Promotion of Equality of Treatment and Non Discrimination of People for Racial or Ethnical Reasons, shows that only 4.3% of those people who have suffered some kind of discriminatory behavior on them have reported it. And only 21% of those who did would do it again.

Data
Groups affected/interested Migrants, Refugees, Roma & Travelers
Type (R/D)
Key socio-economic / Institutional Areas Policing - law enforcement
External Url http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/country-by-country/spain/ESP-CBC-IV-2011-004-ESP.pdf
Situation(s)
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