One in four facts investigated for hate crimes are related to sexual orientation or gender identity
Complaints related to hate crimes by sexual orientation or gender identity increased by Present in several = 67,63% compared to 2019, the year before the covid-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Interior. The official statistics reflect a rise of 24,08% in crimes with a racist or xenophobic motive, compared to a notable decrease of 45,30% in those related to the ideology of the victim.
The data has been offered by the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, in a press conference in which he detailed that in 2021 the Security Forces opened 1.802 investigations for hate crimes. Of these, 1.133 were clarified, which marks a «record» in the historical series in the resolution rate.
466 Hate crimes against the LGTBI collective
Those 466 hate crimes against the collective LGTBI of which the police were aware (either by complaint or by police action) affected 530 victims, of which 13% were minors (47 girls and 21 boys). By sex, 80% were men and 20% women, according to the Report on the evolution of hate crimes in Spain 2021.
13% of hate crimes against the LGTBI community were perpetrated through the internet and social networks. The profile of the suspect aggressor is that of a young man (84%). The majority of aggressors were under 40 years of age, 17% of them were under 18. The victims of hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity are also young: three out of four were under 40.
Menace to society
The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has asserted in the presentation of the report that hate crimes have shown an upward trend since 2014 and that they represent «a serious threat to society as a whole", since "they seek to undermine the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms«.
«The historical series shows us that there are more and more acts of hate resolved by the Security Forces, fewer and fewer crimes go unpunished and police effectiveness increases above the growth of this type of incident«, Has pointed out Great-Marlaska.
The minister has described as «alarming" what in Spain and the rest of the European countries underreporting be in the Present in several = 80%, although it has underlined that they perceive an improvement in confidence in police investigations.
