On the “International Day for Tolerance”, the OSCE released a Hate Crimes Report, where almost a quarter (980) of the 4008 descriptive incidents were perpetrated against Christians.

The number only includes cases documented by civil society organizations and a larger figure arises when police numbers are counted.

The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe has drawn attention to the rising trend (70%) of Anti-Christian Hate Crimes since last year.

Director, Madeleine Enzlberger, said that in the media and politically, “hatred of Christians is hardly noticed as an increasingly obvious social problem. The OSCE report reflects only part of this trend, which we have been documenting for years, and yet it is a loud wake-up call against indifference and fashionable Christian-bashing”,

This year alone, the Observatory were able to report around 600 of the 980 cases to the OSCE. But the number of contributors in comparison with the rest indicates that the actual number of hate crimes against Christians is probably way higher. ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci also said. “But most of these crimes remain unreported, unrecorded and unprosecuted, leaving victims without support or redress.”