Analysis of the experiences of victims of hate-motivated crimes and incidents

Experiences of victims of hate crimes – the system from the inside

What really happens to a person who experiences a hate crime – from the moment of the incident to the courtroom? This publication was created to give a voice to those who, in statistics, are often reduced to mere “cases.” Prepared by the Jewish Association Czulent, it is based on in-depth interviews with individuals from various minority groups and shows how the system of responding to hate crimes works in practice – or fails to do so. It is a resource for public institutions, the justice system, civil society organizations, and anyone seeking to design solutions grounded in real experiences, not just data.

This is a report that begins with emotions – and leads to the system.

The study is based on individual, in-depth online interviews with people who have experienced hate crimes and decided to report them.
Their stories reveal more than individual incidents – they uncover the entire process: from the decision to report, through interactions with the police and prosecutors, to court proceedings.

The key takeaway? The system does not work from the victim’s perspective.

Respondents describe a profound sense of helplessness – both at the reporting stage and during the course of the proceedings. Many cases are not reported at all, and those that do reach institutions are often discontinued or fail to take the hate motivation into account.

This reveals a fundamental gap: the absence of a coherent and effective system for countering hate crimes.

The report guides the reader through each stage of the process. We show:

• what the moment of reporting looks like and what barriers victims encounter,
• how evidence is collected – often psychologically burdensome and left to the victim,
• how the police, prosecutors, and courts operate – and where the most significant problems arise,
• what role is played by civil society organizations, the media, and online platform administrators.

It is a comprehensive picture of the system seen from a single, rarely described perspective.

A lack of support and information is particularly evident. Victims often do not know:

• whether their experience qualifies as a crime,
• what the reporting procedure looks like,
• what they can expect from institutions.

As a result, instead of providing support, the system shifts the burden of action onto those who have already experienced violence.

The report also highlights new challenges – particularly those related to the Internet.

A significant portion of these experiences takes place online, including hate speech, threats, and harassment campaigns. At the same time, public institutions often lack the tools and competencies needed to effectively secure digital evidence or cooperate with online platforms. This is an area where urgent systemic changes are necessary.

From experience to recommendations

Based on the collected data, the publication identifies three key directions for change:

• the restructuring of the institutional system and training for services,
• strengthening support within minority communities,
  
  
• the creation of a specialized support model for victims – from reporting to the conclusion of the case.

This is also an example of our approach. At the Jewish Association Czulent, we start from the experiences of the people we support and translate them into knowledge, data, and systemic recommendations. We combine research, advocacy, and cooperation with institutions to create solutions that genuinely improve how the system functions.

This publication shows that without understanding the experiences of victims, it is not possible to build effective policies to counter hate crimes.

The publication was created with funding from the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ Foundation) as part of the project “Pre-project for the Project: Strategic Litigation as one of the Tools to Counteract Antisemitism on the Internet.”