The Swedish Police Force Work Against Hate Crimes

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The Swedish Police Force Work against Hate Crimes

Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Hate Crimes in Sweden ................................................................................................................... 3

Current Developments of Hate Crimes in Sweden ......................................................................... 5

The Swedish Police Working against Hate Crimes ........................................................................ 6

Importance of Reporting Hate Crimes ............................................................................................ 6

Punishment for Hate Crime ............................................................................................................ 7

Comparison of Hate Crime Combating Measures in Sweden and the United States ..................... 8

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 8

Works Cited .................................................................................................................................. 10

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Introduction

Over the past few decades, most parts of the world have been experiencing challenges with a

rising trend in crimes. Governments have continued to allocate resources to fighting criminal

gangs. Terrorism and illegal drug trade have for the longest time been the most common issues

affecting security. In fact, most attention globally has been accorded to these forms of crime.

However, there is a rising trend of hate crimes in most countries especially the developed ones.

They are also common in nations that are subject to receive immigrants. Hate crimes are those

wrongs that are mainly targeted at a person primarily due to bias or hostility towards specific

groups of people. In Sweden for example, hate crimes have been on the rise since 2000 a trend

that made the government to form a special police force to deal with such cases.

Hate Crimes in Sweden

As previously noted, hate crimes are any forms of criminal activities netted to special

groups of people such as those with physical or mental disabilities. Again, they are executed on

bases of religious beliefs, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation as well as transgender identity.

However, a victim of such acts does not have to be a member of the target group as anybody

could be a subject of the hate crime. Globally, these crimes are given highest priority because of

the negative impacts they have on communities and families. Additionally, the groups that

execute such hatred and intolerance have the potential to develop into terrorist gangs. Therefore,

security agencies have continuously made precautionary measures to reduce the high cases of

hate crimes in the country (Brax and Christian 1688).

Sweden records high numbers of hate crimes, especially towards the immigrants.

Numerous studies have continued to point to the fact that immigrants and people in Sweden but

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from foreign parents are the most targeted. Racism and discrimination are high among this

group. Notably, the majority of the immigrants hail from the Middle East and Africa making

them subjects of Afro-phobia and Islamophobia. Additionally, other common weak groups that

are subjected to racism and religious-affiliated hate crimes are the Jewish community and the

Roma (Larsson and Simon 154). Evidence to prove the prevalence of hate crimes and violence in

Sweden is compiled annually by the National Council for Crime Prevention. The reports provide

a summary of all hate crimes reported to the agencies and the police every year.

Notably, up until 2008, the definition of the hate crime only covered a small scope of

offenses conducted towards target groups (Brax and Christian 1689). However, it was expanded

to include crimes directed to the majority groups by the minorities. New concepts were added to

the understanding of hate crimes such as the crime motives towards Afro-Swedes and the Roma

since they emerged as the highly vulnerable groups. In 2009 for example, there were more than

600 reported cases of Afro-phobic motive. Notably, the form of racism experienced by the Afro-

Swedes in Sweden is mainly based on their ethnic background, nationality, and complexion.

Such crimes are usually expressed in the form of graffiti, defamation by name-calling, or

physical assaults in markets (Gardell 50). Shockingly, although Afro phobic hate crimes are an

increasingly growing concern in Sweden, there is absolute lack of knowledge and understanding

about the exposure of this group towards discrimination and crime. Again, illegal threats and

molestation of Afro-Swedes account for about 37 percent of all reported hate crimes (Wallengren

and Caroline 303). Such statistics prove that hate crime is the most common crime category in

the country.

Towards the end of 2012, few incidences of hate crimes were reported in Sweden.

Religious-related crimes such as Islamophobic and anti-Semitic cases were also recorded in the

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same year (Larsson and Simon 155). Most of them included vandalism of religious-related

premises such as mosques churches, cemeteries, and synagogues. Additionally, instances of

people being harassed for their religious association were also recorded. Statistically, more than

600 cases were reported in 2009 with anti-religious motives. Far from that, about 550 instances

of ideology motivated hate crimes were reported in the same year (Brax and Christian 1693).

Most of them included xenophobic crime, criminal damages, and agitation against a certain

ethnic group. Looking at the trends in victimization over a long period is difficult since the

definition and understanding of hate crimes has continuously changed.

Current Developments of Hate Crimes in Sweden

Hate crimes have been on the rise in Sweden in the recent years. The National Council

for Crime Prevention reported a 20 percent increase in such incidents from 2014 to 2015

(Gardell 50). According to the agency, that was the highest rise since it was tasked with keeping

and analyzing statistics on hate crimes. Shockingly, seven out of ten cases are either xenophobic

or racist. Other offenses include anti-Semitism, sexual oriented, and Islamophobia. All these

categories have recorded an exponential increase in the recent years. In fact, statistical

projections indicate that the trend might continue in the future. The sharpest increase in these

crimes is notable among Islamophobic motives (Larsson and Simon 156). Despite the numerous

instances being reported, most of them are never brought to a conclusion.

Although numerous police investigations have been launched in almost all the cases, only

five percent of them have been resolved to date. The main reason that attributes to this is the fact

most of these crimes are committed by strangers and mostly in public places (Wallengren and

Caroline 313). Therefore, it is usually hard to apprehend the criminals as tracing them is quite

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difficult. In early 2015, the United Nations put Sweden on the spot for its continuous failure to

combat hate crimes. The agency expressed with concern the rising cases crimes and the lashed at

the government for its laxity in dealing with increasing violence and discrimination against

minority groups. The UN further noted that sexual violence against women is on the rise and

pushed for preventative measures (Larsson and Simon 160).

The Swedish Police Working against Hate Crimes

As previously noted, hate crime is a common phrase that comprises various crimes most

of which are brought about by an offender’s attitude towards religious affiliation, skin color, and

sexual orientation. The Swedish police have played a fundamental role in combating incidences

of the hate crime as demonstrated on their website. According to information contained in the

webpage, Swedish police allows victims of hate crime to report such cases to the department by

making phone calls directly to the police. ‘Polisen’ provides two toll-free numbers, 11414 and

112, that victims are supposed to call for assistance and support. After a report has been filed, the

police write a report and investigations commence. Apart from that, the police play a crucial role

in answering questions and also referring victims to relief organizations for further assistance.

Apart from that, various non-governmental organizations have hotlines for hate crime victims.

They work collaboratively with the police to address issues related to molestation, vandalism,

and any form discriminatory assault (Victims of Crime: Hate Crime Victims 1).

Importance of Reporting Hate Crimes

The Swedish police have outlined the importance of reporting any acts of hate crimes

either as a victim or as an observer. In this regard, the agency requires anybody who has been

subjected to any form of hate crime to contact the police and report the incident. Evidently, the

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police force requires one to specify why he or she believes the acts they have been subjected to

are tantamount to hate crime. Therefore, when filing a complaint, the victim must have full

conviction and evidence to prove that he or she was subjected to such acts. Apart from that, the

police value additional evidence such as video or audio recordings and accounts from witnesses

as they help in the speedy apprehension of culprits. For instance, if one was assaulted physically

and the offender made defamatory remarks about an individual’s skin color, the criminal can be

convicted of the actual assault and face a sentence of the hate crime (Carr 370).

Markedly, if a suspect is arrested on the allegation of hate crime, the Swedish Police

conduct sufficient investigations to incriminate the offender. In the event the police have

identified a hate crime motive in the crime conducted, a prosecutor takes charge of the

investigations. In many cases, the victim is entitled to an attorney or legal support from a

counsel. In this regard, a victim may request the Swedish police to provide the representative.

The investigating officer forwards the request to the lead prosecutor after which the jury

determines if there is a need for the professional services (Loftsdóttir and Lars 56).

Punishment for Hate Crime

From the Swedish police website, it is clear that hate crimes are treated with utmost

seriousness. In fact, the agency points that the offenses substantially increase the severity of a

punishment a criminal may receive. According to the police, the hate crime is a concept which

means that a collective name used by criminals to justify committing different crimes. In the

Swedish Penal Code, no specific particular law regulates the types of crime that are summarized

as hate crimes apart from agitation against ethnic groups and illegal discrimination. In this

regard, hate crime increases the possible sentence of criminal as he or she can receive a heavier

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penalty if the court determines the offense had aspects of the crimes (Victims of Crime: Hate

Crime Victims 1).

Comparison of Hate Crime Combating Measures in Sweden and the United States

In the United States, the prevalence of hate crime is similar to that of Sweden. Just like

the Swedish have been entrusted in dealing with such, the Federal Bureau of Investigations plays

a crucial in protecting the rights of American citizens. With regards to hate crimes, the FBI is

entitled to conducting investigations of such acts. Notably, the bureau works closely with local,

state and federal law enforcement partners in combating such cases. Additionally, the FBI

provides the needed law enforcement support in the form of forensic expertise during

investigations. After the completion of inquiries, FBI forwards the findings to the Attorney’s

office and the Civil Rights Division for apprehension and commencement of court hearings

(Loftsdóttir and Lars 68).

Conclusion

Incidences of hate crimes have been on the rise in the recent decades in most parts of the

world. Sweden has mostly been affected by these instances to a point the government has created

a special force within the police to handle the cases solely. Most of the target groups in Sweden

are the immigrants, people of color, and those with distinct religious beliefs from the criminal

gangs. Incidences of such crimes have been in the recent years with every year recording a

substantial increase in the number of reported cases. However, the Swedish police department

has continued to work tirelessly with the aim of reducing hate crime. Victims are free to call the

police at any given time and report cases of vandalism, assault, or discrimination. The fight

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against these crimes is similar in the United States with the FBI playing a critical role in

conducting investigations.

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Works Cited

“Victims of Crime: Hate Crime Victims.” Polisen, https://polisen.se/en/victims-of-crime/hate-

crime-victims/. Accessed 17 April 2018.

Brax, David, and Christian Munthe. “The Philosophical Aspects of Hate Crime and Hate Crime

Legislation: Introducing the Special Section on the Philosophy of Hate Crime.” Journal

of Interpersonal Violence 30.10 (2015): 1687-1695.

Carr, James. “Recording and Reporting Racist Hate Crime: Police and Civil Society

Responses.” Critical Perspectives on Hate Crime. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2017.

369-391.

Gardell, Mattias. “What’s Love Got to Do with It?: Ultranationalism, Islamophobia, and Hate

Crime in Sweden.” Journal of Religion and Violence (2015).

Larsson, Göran, and Simon Stjernholm. “Islamophobia in Sweden: Muslim Advocacy and Hate-

Crime Statistics.” Fear of Muslims?. Springer, Cham, 2016. 153-166.

Loftsdóttir, Kristín, and Lars Jensen. “‘Words That Wound’: Swedish Whiteness and Its Inability

to Accommodate Minority Experiences.” Whiteness and Postcolonialism in the Nordic

Region. Routledge, 2016. 55-68.

Wallengren, Simon, and Caroline Mellgren. “The Role of Visibility for a Minority’s Exposure to

(hate) Crime and Worry about Crime–A Study of the Traveller

Community.” International Review of Victimology 21.3 (2015): 303-319.

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