Report with results of a final survey and comparative analysis – survey of public opinion among the population of Roma origin to establish trust in the police
Each of the two quantitative surveys – initial and final – was conducted among 2,062 adults of Roma origin from all 28 administrative regions of the country. A qualitative survey was conducted among experts dealing with or working with Roma. In-depth interviews were conducted with experts using an in-depth interview questionnaire.
Although there is a large share of Roma who know what discrimination and hate crimes are and define these acts as crimes, the report found a low share of victims who reported to a competent judicial authority or the police.
However, the proportion of Roma who would contact the police or call 112 if they were victims of religious radicalisation, violent extremism, discrimination or a hate crime has risen. In the initial survey, this share was 35.3%, in the final survey – 42.5%.
In the project’s final survey, 68% of Roma adults say they know what discrimination and hate crimes are. Approximately ¼ – 24.9% do not know what they are, and 7.1% cannot judge. At the same time, only 3.6% of the surveyed Roma believe that discrimination is not a crime, and 20.4% have no opinion on this issue.
Regarding the type of settlement in which they live, the following was found: 68.4% of Roma who are residents of Sofia know what discrimination and hate crimes are. 60.2% of Roma living in a regional town also gave this answer; 67.8% of Roma living in a city (which is not a regional center); 73.6% of Roma who live in villages.
Regarding whether discrimination is a crime, in the final survey the majority of Roma answered affirmatively. This is declared by 76% of adults of Roma origin.
A comparison of the data between the two surveys (at the beginning and at the end of the project) shows that the main problem areas in the interaction between Roma and police officers are mainly in the area of attitude, communication and cooperation of police officers towards Roma.
When comparing the data from the initial and final survey, the authors of the report found that, although with different shares, the main problems of the Roma continue to be the low standard of living, poverty, poor infrastructure in the Roma neighborhoods, illiteracy, low pay and poor working conditions.
The data shows that the majority of Roma adults do not recognize what religious radicalization and violent extremism are, and although almost half of Roma consider them to be a crime, in practice the proportion of those Roma who have suffered and reported to a competent judicial authority or the Police is very low.
Although there is a large share of Roma people who know what discrimination and hate crimes are and define these acts as crimes, we again find a low share of victims who have filed a report with a competent judicial authority or the Police.
In the majority of cases, the Roma do not take any specific actions against the perpetrator, and this is due, on the one hand, to the insecurity of the Roma, who have suffered any of the above listed illegal acts, that someone will help or protect them from the perpetrator of the specific crime, and from another – of order, order and imposed stereotypes in the Roma community. At the same time, we find that trust in the Police and its officers is in the low range, which further complicates communication between Roma and police officers.
Recommendations:
A large-scale awareness campaign among the Roma community on the issues of religious radicalization, violent extremism, discrimination, hate crimes or other types of illegal acts is recommended, including the legal rights, the ways in which a victim/witness of a crime could report the crime committed, clarification the specific measures and steps that the competent authorities would take to protect the victim, what are the expected results of filing the report, etc.
We recommend the development of specific measures to be implemented for the benefit of victims of religious radicalization, violent extremism, discrimination, hate crimes or other types of illegal acts, such as ensuring the protection of the victim from the perpetrator of the crime, temporary accommodation, the establishment of centers for consultations for those who have suffered or are threatened by a similar type of crime, etc.
We also recommend taking measures to prevent religious radicalization, violent extremism, discrimination, hate crimes or other types of illegal acts, for example by reaching out to Roma at school age, creating models for early identification of those at risk of religious radicalization, violent extremism, discrimination, hate crimes or other types of illegal acts, or the potential perpetrators of such, etc.
We recommend improving the interaction between Roma organizations trusted by Roma, state and local authorities and the Police.
We recommend that steps be taken in the direction of stronger integration of the Roma, by improving their way of life, their status on the labor market and social status, increasing their educational level, increasing their legal culture, etc.
To work in the direction of increasing trust in the police officers of the Ministry of the Interior, with the aim that in case of serious problems or conflicts, the Roma turn to law enforcement officers for help, assistance and protection, instead of resolving them themselves. This could be done on the one hand through additional training of the police officers who work with the Roma communities in the direction of a better understanding of the customs, customs and orders of the Roma, the creation of reception centers where the Roma have the opportunity to turn to police officers or other competent persons (for example, psychologists, lawyers, etc.), and on the other hand, through the development of a complex of measures aimed at breaking the entrenched stereotypes in the behavior of the Roma.
More about the research methodology, project objectives, as well as all the data can be found in the document below (in Bulgarian):
