Crimes against Afro-Swedes, the most common hate crime in Sweden: Report
IZMIR, Turkey
With the exception of hate crimes based on general xenophobic and racist motives, Afrophobia is the most common motive among reported hate crimes in Sweden, according to a new report.
Hate crimes against Afro-Swedes are often characterized by physical violence and more than 1,000 cases are reported annually, but only a few lead to convictions in court, says the report from the Crime Prevention Council.
The victims of Afrophobic hate crimes are often young, especially the violent incidents, where four out of ten are under the age of 18. The youngest was only 7 years old.
Hate crimes against Afro-Swedes occur in many different contexts – on streets, squares and public transport, but also in schools and workplaces.
Most crimes are committed by strangers, but it can also be neighbors, colleagues or schoolmates, according to Lisa Wallin, investigator at the Crime Prevention Council.
There are really few safe spaces where Afro-Swedes never risk being exposed to this type of crime, says Wallin to SVT.
The report is based on approximately 430 cases of Afrophobic hate crimes reported to the police, as well as interviews with suspects.
Men more often perpetrators
In six out of ten reports, the perpetrators are men. However, there is no large gender difference between women’s and men’s vulnerability to Afrophobic hate crimes, according to the reports reviewed by the Crime Prevention Council.
In just over a quarter of the reports where the plaintiff was a woman, there were sexualized or misogynistic expressions. Men were directed more towards their professional roles.
Serious violence and hate crimes are one dimension, but then there are also microaggressions and the experience of discrimination that affects the health of Afro-Swedes, said Wallin.
