A joint instruction signed by the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Deputy Prosecutor General which is to be sent to all Prosecutors and Regional MIA Departments, finally sets in motion the creation of a register of crimes committed on the basis of racial, ethnic or religious intolerance. This should enable statistical reporting on the number and nature of such crimes and on the results of police investigations into them.
This is, of course, only a first step and there remains a serious problem which needs to be tackled at the same time. This is, of course, the need to acknowledge hate crimes, and it is this too which is often lacking, with crimes being classified as hooliganism or others.
This is a complex problem which is not by any means only because police officers dont want to accept racial motivation as a factor. It also involves faults in legislation, making investigators sometimes disinclined to apply articles of the Criminal Code which are notoriously difficult to prove.
All of these issues need to be addressed and now, in order to ensure the success of an initiative which must undoubtedly be welcomed.
The Prosecutor General of Ukraine The Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs
Instruction
6.02.2009 Kyiv No. 11 / 121
On a record of crimes committed on the basis of racial, ethnic
or religious intolerance, as well as of the results of investigations
into these crimes
To ensure proper recording of crimes committed on the basis of racial, ethnic or religious intolerance, as well as of the results of investigations into these crimes,
THE FOLLOWING MEASURES ARE REQUIRED:
2.1` Record crimes committed on the basis of racial, ethnic or religious intolerance using the following elements 6, 7, Item 16 of the statistical card for the results of the investigation into the crime of form 1.1, and details 6, 7 Item 42 of the statistical card for the perpetrator of the crime, form 2;
2.2 Organize work on keeping records of the above-stated category.
Deputy Prosecutor General Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs,
State Advisor on Justice, Class 1, Lieutenant-General of the Police,
V.V. Kudryavtsev M. H. Verbenksy