According to data from the Office of the Prosecutor General (PGR) provided to the newspaper Público, between 2020 and 2023 the Office of the Public Prosecutor (OP) opened 792 hate crime investigations, but brought only 14 charges during this period.
According to the data, between 2020 and 2022, 530 investigations were opened and only three indictments were issued per year.
There were 262 cases filed in 2023, but only five were charged, according to the PGR, adding that the data relates to crimes based on or aggravated by “hate.”
From 2020 to 2023, 630 cases of the same crime were archived.
For the public, the GRR explains that “the total number of open investigations refers to investigations of completed and attempted crimes and that since 2022, the computer system has made it possible to extend the collection of statistical information to a larger number of realities related to this phenomenon.” ”.
Therefore, PGR explains, “the data is not directly comparable to previous years, meaning differences may be due to statistical data collection and not necessarily to the number of open surveys.”
The PIU also explains that “the difference between the number of investigations initiated each year and the corresponding results (indictments or filings) is not necessarily reflected in the number of records recorded per year, this is due to the fact that there are cases that are referred to the PIU.” next year”.
Temporary suspension of the process or decisions to join/include investigations are other decisions that may affect the number of cases.
The newspaper Público claims that the Commission for Equality and Combating Racial Discrimination (CICDR), whose chairmanship was officially handed over to Parliament in January but suspended for six months, is one of the structures that refer cases to the MP when they consider it. that there is a criminal case.
From January 1 to October 28, 2023, CICDR received 596 complaints, the type of which was not specified by the organization.
Data collected by Lusa in February from the PSP and GNR showed that hate crimes in Portugal increased by 38% in 2023 compared to 2022.
In total, authorities recorded 347 crimes of discrimination and hate speech in 2023, an increase of 77 cases from the previous year, and this increase was most evident in territory under PPR control.
Early on Friday morning, there were three attacks on immigrants in the Campo 24 de Agosto area, Rua do Bonfim and Rua Fernandez Tomás in Porto.
According to PSP, the attacks were carried out by multiple groups and five immigrants were taken to hospital due to their injuries.
Following the attacks, six men were identified and one was arrested for illegal weapons possession.
Given the suspicion of a hate crime, the judicial police began to investigate the case.
Meanwhile, the deputy opened three investigations into attacks on immigrants that occurred in the city of Porto.