UN Racial Discrimination Committee accuses Norway of failing in the fight against racist speech and hate crimes. Reviews submitted in the report by the Committee to Norwegian Minister of Children, Equality and Inclusion Minister Solveig Horne (FRP) pointed that the legislation lacks a good enough definition of hate crimes. Furthermore, statistics are inadequate and there is no satisfactory system for coordinating registration of hate crimes across police districts. Also very low number of cases of hate crimes are reported and brought to the courts, according to the UN report.
UN Committee writes that it is concerned about an increase in hate speech and xenophobic messages in the media and in other arenas – such as the Internet, according to NTB’s report.
Both the press and “certain politicians” promote intolerance, prejudice and stigmatization of ethnic and national minorities, the report wrote.
The Committee believes that the Criminal Code racism clause in the country “is not always sufficiently effective” to prevent and protect against hate speech. Particularly there is a lack of actual pursuit of those responsible, believes the UN Committee.
“The government must put more effort that hate speech and crimes are effectively investigated and that those responsible are prosecuted and – if guilty – sentenced”, suggests the report.
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