Response to interpellation 2023/24:161 on knowledge within the justice system regarding crimes against LGBTQI persons

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Anna Wallentheim has asked me how I and the government are working to increase knowledge about hate crimes against hbtqi persons. Furthermore, Anna Wallentheim has asked me how I and the government intend to provide the municipalities with the right conditions in their crime prevention work, so that hate crimes or violence against women do not fall through the cracks.

I want to first emphasize that the government takes all forms of threats, hate, and violence seriously. The government's strategy for equal rights and opportunities regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression and the associated action plan are central starting points for improving the situation of hbtqi persons in Sweden. To strengthen the work, the government in the budget bill for 2024 has signaled additional funds for the work for hbtqi persons' rights for the years 2025 and 2026.

The work that the Swedish Police Authority and other authorities carry out against hate crimes is of great importance. The importance of the issue is reflected by the ongoing government mandate to the Swedish Police Authority, which aims to increase the clearance and prosecution of hate crimes and other crimes that threaten democracy, as well as to strengthen the competence within the authority to investigate these crimes. Since 2020, the Swedish Police Authority has also been one of twelve so-called LGBTQI strategic agencies with a mandate to promote the equal rights and opportunities of LGBTQI persons in its activities.

In August 2023, the government increased support to municipalities and regions that work to promote the rights and opportunities of hbtqi persons. The support can be given for projects aimed at promoting hbtqi persons' rights and opportunities in contact with municipalities and regions. The government grant can also be given to projects that promote physical and digital meeting places for hbtqi persons.

Men's violence against women as well as honor-related violence and oppression are further serious societal problems that cause both physical and mental suffering. It is important that society marks and acts powerfully against these crimes. The government is therefore intensifying the work against men's violence against women and honor-related violence and oppression. In the budget bill for 2024, the government proposes 50 million kronor in a three-year supplement to the work of preventing and combating honor-related violence and oppression. In total during 2024, the government thus allocates just over 600 million kronor within the gender equality policy for the area of gender-related violence, honor-related violence and oppression, violence in close relationships, prostitution and human trafficking.

The Government has also tasked the Crime Prevention Council and the County Administrative Boards to strengthen national and regional support for crime prevention work, partly against the background that the municipalities have had a statutory responsibility for crime prevention work since July 1 of this year. Since it is important that the municipalities have knowledge of how violence in close relationships can be included in their mapping of crime, the Crime Prevention Council and the Gender Equality Authority have developed enhanced support on this.

No decent society can accept that people are subjected to threats, hate, and violence. Everyone has the right to be protected from violence, and no one has the right to restrict anyone else's life. The Government will continue to powerfully drive the work for everyone's right to live as who they are and to love whom they want.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Anna Wallentheim (S)

Madam Speaker! Hat breeds hatred. We have seen it throughout history, and we see it now. The polarization both in the world and in Sweden has an impact, and unfortunately, it is increasing. There are very few winners in this.

When hatred takes hold, it strikes group after group. It creeps into the internet, into workplaces and into schools. In conversations with representatives from Hbtq+ Socialdemokrater, RFSL and RFSL Ungdom, I have received information that the hatred is now growing against, for example, homosexuals, trans people and people with queer expressions.

I hear trade unions testify about incidents in workplaces. I hear schools report an increase in insults etched onto student lockers. I hear stories of how more and more children and young people find it difficult to come out to their parents as the language used at home regarding hbtqi persons becomes harsher and the tone is raised.

There is much we need to do in many areas so that LGBTQI people feel safe. We need to act within many policy areas. Since I am a member of the Committee on Justice, my task will, of course, be to monitor those areas where I feel I have the greatest opportunity to influence.

Of course, it is the case that we must seriously deal with the development we see in society. We must ensure that our authorities are ready and that they stand strong when people turn to them – above all when people turn to them to get help. People's trust in our authorities can make a big difference.

Of course we must act when people feel that they are not being heard in vulnerable situations. The reason I submitted this specific interpellation is that in conversations with several different LGBTQI movements, I have repeatedly heard that far too many people believe that reports to the police very rarely receive any attention. People who have been subjected to hate and crimes because of their sexual orientation or gender identity feel that they are not really taken seriously and that the lack of understanding that it actually involves hate crimes is great.

To those listening at home or up in the stands, I want to say that hate crimes can be described as an attack on human rights and a violation of the principle of all people's equal value. What defines a hate crime is that the perpetrator carries out the attack because of their negative attitude towards certain people's characteristics. This can, for example, involve skin color, ethnicity, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, or similar circumstances.

To clarify: It is not the case that you must fit into any of these descriptions for it to be considered a hate crime. It is sufficient that the perpetrator believes you have one of the characteristics, for example that he or she believes you are homosexual or Muslim, for it to be counted as a hate crime.

Madam Speaker! There are many parts of the Minister's answer that I view very positively. There are many parts that are welcomed not only by me but by several parts of the LGBTQ+ movement. Just as I have mentioned in other debates with the Minister for Justice, the best crime is the crime that was never committed, and just as when it concerns all other crime, we shall always work preventatively.

What the Minister of Justice must understand is that the dark figure regarding crimes against LGBTQI persons is considered to be extremely large. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister: How will the government work so that more people dare to report crimes without feeling that they are just a piece of paper in a pile that is never taken seriously?

(Applause)

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Anna Wallentheim for the opportunity to discuss these important issues here today.

Let me first emphasize that the government and, I assume, the Chamber and our society as a whole take all forms of threats, hate, and violence seriously. It is an insight that is also encouraging, because we must take measures in different ways to create pressure against those people in our society who, despite everything, through hate, threats, and violence want to restrict other people's freedom to live their lives as they wish.

I take note of what Anna Wallentheim said about the dark figure. This applies largely to this type of crime. It applies, of course, to the hate and the threats directed at LGBTQI persons, but it also applies to persons who are subjected to other crimes. For example, we have recently seen serious antisemitic attacks and statements in debates. Despite the fact that the number of reports of this crime has increased exponentially, most assessors say that it is still only the tip of an iceberg. This means that people who, for various reasons, become subjects of this type of hate and threats, are to an all-too-small extent inclined to report these crimes. This can have a number of different reasons, everything from close relationships to a fear of what it can mean and the consequences one might face if one stands up for one's rights in public, which one does if one chooses to report a crime and is prepared to undergo the legal process that follows if the crime is solved and the guilty are prosecuted.

One must also note that there are a number of possible reasons for the testimonies that Anna Wallentheim highlights. It is probably different things that can drive the deterioration of the climate and the fact that the space to come out, tell who one is, or lead a discussion about the rights issues one is passionate about is perceived to be shrinking. For example, a fierce drag queen debate was held that was not exactly the most forward-looking discussion held in our country. It is also palpable that there is an aspect of immigration that, to a lesser extent than Mainstreamsverige, is focused on precisely openness and freedom when it comes to individual life choices, and perhaps is also associated with great repression if one chooses to go their own way as an hbtqi person or otherwise wants to make a life choice that conflicts with the group's, the collective's, or the family's positions on what is a right and proper life choice.

All this taken together, we as a society must be able to handle, and we must do it in different ways: strategically and methodically from a political standpoint with resource allocation for important rights work. It is also extraordinarily important that we ensure that law enforcement agencies have this on their radar and work methodically with it, and I am therefore pleased with the Police Authority's mandate to increase the clearance and prosecution of hate crimes.

Let me in my next post return to what we can do to strengthen crime victims and their will to report to the police and fight for their rights legally.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Anna Wallentheim (S)

Madam Speaker! The Minister mentions several of the reasons that I too have heard when I have met people within the LGBTQI movement. The increased antisemitism and the increased Islamophobia are a breeding ground for growing hatred even against this group and make society even more insecure for them. The Minister also mentions the unfortunate drag queen debate, which increased polarization.

It worries me that people feel that they do not dare to report crimes, and I am saddened when they consider that it is not worthwhile. I truly hope that the minister, together with the Riksdag, continues to fight and highlight how important these issues are.

In his interpellation answer, the minister also pointed out how important it is for society to both signal and act powerfully regarding men's violence against women. I completely share that view. But is men's violence against women really a priority issue for the government? Every day, girls and women across the country, regardless of background, are subjected to harassment, violence, and sexual assault. Every twenty minutes, an assault against a woman is reported, and every month at least one woman is killed by her current or former partner when she tries to leave or has left the relationship. This violence, therefore, has unfathomable consequences for the women who are affected.

The problem with hate and threats extends to all women: politicians, school children, our mothers, our sisters and our daughters. The government must take this seriously and act. Merely talking about the problem is not enough. Concrete measures are required to stop men's violence against women. It is about preventing violence, punishing the perpetrators and giving women the help and support they need.

The Minister and the government talk about investments, but in reality, it looks different. Special units within the police that are to work with men's violence against women are being abolished, and cuts in the municipalities mean that there is a lack of funding for protected housing and that the municipalities' ability to offer support to women exposed to violence is decreasing.

We Social Democrats believe that the government must submit more bills on these issues. It must also be ensured that the police prioritize violence against women and that the municipalities receive the financial support and resources they need to protect affected women and children.

Previously, we Social Democrats put forward a 99-point program to combat men's violence against women. Investigations with proposals are complete, but the proposals do not reach our committee or the chamber. My urge to the Minister of Justice is to act based on these completed investigations, which are a result of the previous government's work. How does the Minister view this?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Let me first refer to a question that was asked in the first round, namely what we can do so that more crimes are solved and so that more people who are subjected to this type of crime both dare and want to report it to the police. I would like to say that this is perhaps one of the very biggest issues in a task dedicated to strengthening the position of crime victims. It is about getting the person who is subjected to or witnesses a crime to report it to the police and that all those involved are prepared to speak with the police and contribute to ensuring that as many as possible who commit crimes take full responsibility for it.

Both in relation to the judges and the Crime Victim Authority, we will therefore make economic and other investments aimed at meeting crime victims and witnesses in a better way than is all too often the case today within the justice system. People must, of course, also be motivated to report crimes, and in that regard, it is particularly important to ensure that more crimes are investigated and solved.

When the new leadership for the police was appointed at the beginning of the month, it was with a very clear mandate for change. It is about the citizen-oriented, that is, the crimes that occur in everyday life and which are not gang-related, system-threatening crime. It can be thefts and vandalism but also to a very high degree violence in relationships, men's violence against women, assault, hate and threats. The police must focus on and resolve this crime to a much higher extent than today.

This in itself will be motivating for many to dare and want and think it to be worth the effort to contact the police when one is subjected to this type of crime.

When it comes to violence against women, I want to emphasize that it is a given priority for the government, which is also reflected in the political priorities the government makes.

I mentioned that we are making an investment exceeding many other budget investments in recent years, of 600 million kronor within the gender equality policy specifically regarding gender-related violence, honor-related violence and oppression, violence in close relationships, and prostitution and human trafficking. The state budget, i.e., the budget that the Riksdag is now to take a position on, supports the political prioritization to the highest degree and does so to a greater extent than many other budgets we have seen in this area during recent years.

Protected housing was mentioned, as well as reforms aimed at ensuring that it is the perpetrator who leaves the rental apartment and not the victim. It is an incredibly important reform that I am glad we can move forward with.

When it comes to the penalties, I cannot overemphasize the importance of the fact that, generally speaking, we in this country have penalties that reflect the value of the crime. I would like to send back a question, if that is alright. When we presented our broad approach to penalties this summer, I received a lot of criticism from the Social Democratic side because we did not focus our penalty increases on the gang criminals, the criminal networks, and the system-threatening crime without also engaging in some kind of general repression that also hit other crimes. At that point, I asked myself: Does this mean that the Social Democrats will vote no when we come forward with much-needed penalty increases concerning men's violence against women, or when it becomes mandatory to detain men who violate the peace of women? It would be excellent to have a clarification from the Social Democrats on that part.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Anna Wallentheim (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answers! We will return to this issue regarding the increased penalties in the chamber. I can only clarify that we are incredibly critical of some of the increased penalties where it is spoken of that children should be imprisoned. I believe the Minister knows that.

But I can already state that we will return to this work, both regarding increased penalties and regarding men's violence against women. Both I myself and several comrades here in the Riksdag will push hard on these issues. We will demand answers if we consider that it is delayed, because we are not satisfied. But that must happen in a different debate.

I would like to conclude where I began, namely that hate breeds hate. At its core, it is about dark forces that want to whip up hatred. It is dark forces that want our societies to be split apart. It is they who win when groups are pitted against groups. It is a dangerous development for Sweden and for the people who live and work here.

Madam Speaker! We all, not only as politicians and as adults but as human beings, have a responsibility to speak up when developments are heading in the wrong direction. We must act against hatred.

Today, unfortunately, we have a parliamentary party that continues to drive hatred and threats against Muslims, against Social Democrats, against popular education, against journalists, against civil society, and against LGBTQ people and so on. It is a parliamentary party that the government not only cooperates with but also allows to drive a large part of the politics we see.

I therefore wish that I could trust the minister's words in all of this. Much of it, I think, sounds incredibly good, but the policy being presented in the chamber of the Riksdag does not always correspond to the minister's words.

Therefore, I would like to point out that not until you clearly signal against the Sweden Democrats' rhetoric and politics am I prepared to believe what is being said. I want to see it in black and white. I want to be given the opportunity to vote for the things that the minister has mentioned.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! I have recently realized that the Social Democrats primarily have other parties as their main enemies. There was a time when social democracy built its legitimacy on clearly tackling major societal problems.

For my part, I can point to the policy we are presenting. I believe it is a fairly good litmus test if one wants to know where this government stands. We are allocating 600 million within the gender equality policy which are dedicated to countering gender-related violence, honor-related violence and oppression, violence in close relationships, and prostitution and human trafficking, and that trumps several of the last few years' Social Democratic budgets in that area. It is a clear expression of where we stand in these issues.

When it comes to criminal law, we will finally implement the reforms that, not least the women's movement, has demanded: punishment that corresponds to the severity of the crimes. It will be interesting to see if the Social Democrats, despite what was said this summer, will stand behind these increased penalties or if, when it comes down to it, there is also in this issue a gap between words and actions that is troubling.

For my part, there is no doubt whatsoever that a decent society must ensure that, both through the means of criminal policy and through other means, hate, threats, and harassment—everything that limits people's opportunities to make their own life choices—are pushed back. And when people have made a life choice and, for example, married or entered into a cohabitation but the relationship deteriorates and leads to assault and violence, the society shall consistently stand on the victim's side.

I mean that we have already taken important steps in that direction during this year. I can assure the members that both the Committee on Justice and the Committee on Civil Affairs will have a lot to work on in this area once we have slightly improved the quality in part of the investigative work that the previous government left behind.

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

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