Skin colour, national or ethnic origin is the most common motive for hate, but the largest percentage increase in the number of reports about sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, and anti-Semitism has been registered.
The National Center of Expertise in Hate Crime in the Oslo Police District has produced this year’s report on reported hate crimes in Norway for 2023.
– We see that the increase that started last year in reported hate crimes against queers is continuing. There has also been an increase in reported anti-Semitism after the conflict in the Middle East broke out on 7 October last year, says police chief Ida Melbo Øystese.
Most utterances
– We do not know whether the increases mean that more people are making complaints and that there have been fewer incidents, or whether it reflects an increase in the number of incidents. The latter is worrying if it is the cause of the increase and is something we take seriously, says Øystese further.
Most of the reviews relate to hate speech, bodily harm and reckless behaviour. Hate speech makes up just under 40 percent of the total number.
Most of the reported incidents have occurred in public spaces.
Most in Oslo
About a third of the reports were investigated by the Oslo police district. The number of complaints has decreased in some police districts, but the South East registered an increase of 70 per cent and Møte and Romsdal an increase of 72 per cent compared to before.
– It is positive if the increase in the number of reports means that more people dare to report and have confidence that hate crimes are taken seriously by the police, says police chief Ida Melbo Øystese.
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