Kicking off a wider campaign against hate speech in Denmark, Amnesty International Denmark launched a 76-page report on legal practice against hate speech over the last 22 years.
 
The report explains the societal context of hate speech as well as the relevant (inter)national legal frameworks. Examples and interview excerpts are provided, as well as statistics from surveys carried out in 2024.
 
Amnesty International lawyers had access to 1 418 incidents of hate speech reported to the police, of which 793 (55.9%) were accusations of racial discrimination. 72% of the cases were dropped without prosecution, 2% resulted in the issuing of a fine, and only 9% resulted in a conviction.
 
The hate speech experienced by survey respondents mainly concerned gender (47%), skin colour or other biological and ethnic characteristics (33%), and religion (32%), as well as physical disabilities and sexual orientation. Hate speech against ethnic and religious minorities was found to be accompanied by physical abuse, such as spitting, pushing or tearing off a woman’s hijab, on a regular basis.

The survey and the report do not distinguish between different migration statuses or countries of origin, as a person might be met with the same hate speech whether they are a Danish citizen or not, and incidents can occur as a result of assumptions made based on appearance. The term "ethnic minority" is used in the report to describe anyone who might be targeted for being a non-ethnic Dane: a blue-eyed Australian immigrant is less likely to face hate speech than a person with Lebanese heritage who has Danish citizenship. 
 
The report examines the effects of hate speech for society as well as for the individual, both on a practical level (a person may refrain from participation in public debates, for example) and a psychological one (effects may include feelings of being unsafe, depression, or low self-esteem).
 
Interviewees reported that when they participate in public debates, attention will often turn to their ethnic or religious background, rather than the matter originally at hand. One woman said that she could feel clearly that people would see her as 'a foreigner' when she wore a hijab, and that she felt she was at greater risk of hate speech.

The report makes the following recommendations to the Danish government:

• Update current legislation to ensure better protection of the individual.
• Launch prevention and awareness initiatives on hate speech.
• Strengthen resources and knowledge on the issue within the police.

The report is available in Danish only. Its authors can be reached via amnesty@amnesty.dk.