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Hate crimes are a growing phenomenon in our plural societies. Despite the fact that European countries are evolving towards greater integration of minority groups, they are still affected by criminal behaviour based on prejudice. Migrants, people with disabilities, members of religious minorities, LGBTQIA+ community, Roma people are currently some of the collectives at risk of being identified as targets of hate crimes. Underreporting accompanies this phenomenon, as well as the lack of identification of the hate motives underlying these crimes. In addition, victims of hate crimes often feel alone and subjected to institutional discrimination that discourages them from claiming their rights before public authorities. Discriminatory violence severely affects the social and personal sphere of victims, and is often intensified by the intersectionality that accompanies many of these people. Thus, overlapping vulnerability factors result in further victimisation and added difficulties in coping with discrimination. Given this situation, a review of legislative measures and victim support policies is needed, taking into account the particular vulnerability of hate crime victims, in order to put the affected persons and their needs at the centre of the jurisdictional and assistance policies of each country. As an added value, an intersectional approach to victims is also crucial to adequately understand their needs and its effective satisfaction. The following pages present the results of the comparative analysis of the national reports developed in the framework of the project “COUNTER.HATE: Improving the assistance of victims of hate crimes through a victim-centred and intersectional approach”, which covers the current state of play in the six participating countries: Spain, Slovenia, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Lithuania. The national reports which constitute the basis of this comparative transnational report were developed after a deep research carried out during the first 8 months of the project. Following the phase of desk research, qualitative and quantitative data-collection (through in-depth interviews and an online survey) was conducted in all participating countries to analyse the experiences and opinions of victims and key professionals. This target group of professionals included public security and justice practitioners (prosecutors, lawyers, judges, law enforcement authorities), anti-discrimination professionals (anti-discrimination public bodies and NGOs, human rights organisations), and professionals working on victims’ assistance. In the first chapter, the report contains the common normative context regarding discrimination, assistance of victims and major aspects related to the categorisation of hate crimes. Findings on the most vulnerable groups, profile of victims and the dominant social prejudices in the current European context can be found in the second chapter. In the third chapter, the report focuses on the common challenges related to victim assistance. It summarises the predominant needs of victims according to the research carried out, and reflects the current state of victim’s support service structure, provided by both the public and private sectors. Finally, the fourth chapter analyses the progress and current disadvantages of criminal proceedings from a victim-centred approach2 . The report concludes with a series of final considerations that aim, without being exhaustive, to show a picture of possible future lines of improvement and action.

The publication includes the national reports on the assistance of victims of hate crimes elaborated in the context of the Project "Counter-Hate - Improving the assistance of victims of hate crimes through a victim-centered and intersectional approach", funded by the European Union (JUST-2021-JACC). COUNTER-HATE project seeks to consider the particular vulnerability of hate crime victims. The COUNTER-HATE project is being implemented in six European countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Spain). It includes analytical activities, training, staff exchanges, workshops, seminars, and awareness-raising events, among other activities. Each participant country implemented a research phase to map and evaluate national legislation and policies regarding hate crimes and assistance to victims. Particularly, the research took into account to what extent those measures ensure the transposition of the Victims Directive and whether it is well implemented in practice by addressing the needs of victims of hate crimes. Through a mixed-method approach, the COUNTER-HATE project also explores the overlapping of discrimination factors. It analyses the opinions and needs of victims of hate crimes, as well as the perspectives and viewpoints of professionals on different issues: the existing services and policies for victims, the role of public bodies in the current provision of services, as well as their personal and professional experiences linked to bias-motivated violence. The following pages present the results of the research carried out in the participating countries. The national information includes the highlights and the detailed results of the exploratory phase of the project. Finally, it presents the challenges at the national level to build a more just, equal, and prejudice-free society, This publication consititutes the first deliverable of the Workpackage 2 of the project "Counter-Hate - Improving the assistance of victims of hate crimes through a victim-centered and intersectional approach", funded by the European Union (JUST-2021-JACC).

The essay aims at analyzing the sentence no. 13 of 27 July 2018 of the Constitutional Court of Bulgaria, which ruled on the compliance of the Istanbul Convention with the Constitution. This decision is of particular interest, since it represents the first legal result of a movement against the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, born and raised in the countries of Eastern Europe in last years. Despite the inconclusive outcome, as the decision is made in the form of a mere legal opinion, its analysis allows to understand how it ends up having a negative impact on the fundamental rights of the individual, including dignity and equality, and in particular of women. Keywords: Istanbul, women, violence, gender, Bulgaria., AG About Gender - Rivista internazionale di studi di genere, V. 10 N. 20 (2021): (Un)doing gender and migration stereotypes. Per un���analisi critica degli stereotipi nel rapporto tra genere e migrazione

This paper aims at using a public call for non-objecting physicians as a springboard for a broader critical reflection on the way the topic of pregnancy termination is usually thought, that is, as a contrast between the self-determination of a pregnant woman, from a side, and the freedom of conscientious objection of the doctor, on the other. Secondly, it will illustrate how to think of the right to abortion as a mere potestative right for women is not without risks, because it could leave the pregnant woman ���alone��� to come to terms with her own freedom., BioLaw Journal - Rivista di BioDiritto, N. 2 (2019)

The article aims at providing some insights into the emerging topic of ���intersex���. In doing it, the paper describes and analyses some issues currently under academic and public debate, such as the correct definition of intersex and its quantification, the hurdles in terms of marital status, as well as the legitimacy of the neonatal surgeries., BioLaw Journal - Rivista di BioDiritto, N. 1 (2019)