Equal protection for all victims of hate crime – The case of people with disabilities

Summary:

This paper discusses the difficulties faced by people with disabilities who become victims of hate crime, and the different legal frameworks in place to protect such victims in the EU’s Member States. It ends by listing a number of suggestions for improving the situation at both the legislative and policy levels.

Further information:

People with disabilities have been excluded from mainstream society for centuries, and still face discrimination, stigmatisation and isolation even today. Research by FRA shows that violence, harassment and abuse are common experiences for many people with disabilities, creating a formidable barrier to their inclusion and participation in the community. An age-old assumption that disabled people should be pitied, rather than respected as individuals with the right to live free from violence, often detracts from the severity of the violence they face, making it more difficult to recognise either its causes or its consequences.

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