National Police and Civil Guard to Establish Central Units Against Hate Crimes

National Police and Civil Guard will establish central operational groups for the investigation of hate crimes and hate speech of national scope or significance, similar to other criminal areas of special relevance such as organized crime, corruption networks, or drug trafficking. This is one of the main measures included in the third plan to combat this type of crime, which will extend until 2028 and was presented today by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

The new central units will be responsible for investigating hate crimes that, due to various circumstances such as their significance, characteristics, or deployment across different parts of the country, exceed the territorial scope or capabilities of specialized local units, such as the violent extremism teams (National Police) and hate crime response teams (Civil Guard).

These new structures will also coordinate the work of specialized local teams within each force and will take on the investigation of hate crimes and hate speech committed on the internet and social networks when it is not possible to determine the location of the illicit messages.

The specialized local teams of both forces, on the other hand, will take on investigations of hate crimes and hate speech committed in the sports field, especially in football, coordinating with all affected operators and entities to ensure a swift response to such incidents in the criminal, administrative, and disciplinary domains.

Alongside strengthening operational capabilities, the State Secretariat for Security will promote the creation of a Coordination System for Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Investigations, managed by the national office against these criminal offenses, which will systematize operations when different police forces are involved in the same case. This system, where all incidents, crimes, and hate speech investigated by Spanish security forces will be recorded, will allow for extensive knowledge about the genesis and execution of these acts, facilitating anticipation and more effective prosecution.

The 109 measures included in this third plan, which has its own funding of 1.5 million euros, are structured around six axes, with the new central units and the coordination system of investigations as the first two.

The remaining blocks aim to improve support for victims of hate crimes and their awareness of existing resources, prevent this type of speech and criminal offenses, expand training, awareness, and sensitization of security force members in this fight, and encourage collaboration with social organizations combating this scourge.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated at the plan's presentation that "against hate, against discrimination, against the persecution of the different, against intolerance, against violence, we defend today, here, once again, a model of plural, diverse, inclusive, and supportive coexistence." He added that "fighting hate is a commitment of this Government, but above all, an act of social justice."