Hate crime reports reach record high in Finland

Hate crime reports reach record high in Finland

The number of suspected hate crimes reported to police in Finland rose to 1,808 last year, the highest figure recorded since national monitoring began in 2008. The increase marks a 13 percent rise compared to the previous year. Data from the Police University College shows the majority of reports involved assault and defamation. Most cases cited the victim’s ethnic or national background as the motive. Reports involving sexual or gender identity, and disability, also increased sharply.