Racist and xenophobic crimes in Italy 2020, by type

According to police figures, crimes that involve racism and xenophobia were far from uncommon in Italy. In 2020, over 800 crimes were perpetrated for racist and xenophobic reasons. With more than 300 cases, most of these crimes were classified as incitement to violence. However, many other forms of crimes were also filed. During that year, 158 grave desecrations and 88 physical assaults were notably perpetrated under racist or xenophobic pretenses.

Hate crimes in Italy

From a larger perspective, racist and xenophobic crimes fall under the hate crime classification. Such crimes were on the rise in Italy. In 2020 over a thousand hate crimes were notably registered by the police. As for racist and xenophobic crimes, the most common type of hate crime was incitement to violence. In 2020, over 300 cases of incitement to violence were filed by the Italian police.

Different motivations behind hate crimes

In 2020, most hate crimes were motivated by one’s skin color or origin. However, crimes under the bias of disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity are also classified as hate crimes. In 2020, almost 200 crimes against disabled people were registered by the police. The most common type of criminal acts directed at this minority was physical assault, followed by theft and robbery. During that year, 71 hate crimes were committed because of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity. However, hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community in Italy most frequently involved physical assault. Ultimately, although such criminal figures solely represent reported crimes, an increase in reported hate crimes is undeniable.