Bernese cantonal police launch campaign against hate crimes – rts.ch

The Bernese Cantonal Police “receive more and more questions related to hate crimes”, indicate Tuesday the Directorate of Security and the Directorate of Public Instruction in a joint press release.

The authorities are seeing an increase in reports of incidents which are often linked to religious affiliation. The situation is even considered worrying by the Bernese government, which “condemns any attack against people and their institutions whatever they may be”, while the violence in the Middle East has contributed to fueling anti-Semitic and Islamophobic hatred in Europe for more than ‘one year.

Deconstruct prejudices

In the canton of Bern, the police began recording these hate crimes on January 1, 2023. Over that year, they recorded 55 reports. More than half (30) concerned ethnicity and religion. Of these, seven reports were recorded as anti-Semitic incidents, five of which were reported after October 7.

The others focused on sexual orientation or gender identity. Most of the facts reported are insults, threats, but also assault and bodily harm.

Faced with this situation, the Bernese cantonal police have decided to strengthen their prevention work by adopting new measures, in association with more than thirty religious communities, independent organizations, training institutions and other partners. The objective: to deconstruct prejudices and clearly signal that hatred is intolerable.

Educational materials

To this end, the “Together Against Hate” campaign includes online videos and educational materials for schools, in the form of posters, leaflets or even a set of postcards to personalize so that schools can take up the subject and engage in dialogue with students on the subject, from a very young age.

Materials intended for teachers also explain the different forms that hate crimes can take and indicate concrete courses of action.

jop with Gaël Klein