The Hate Incident Reporting Center in Saarland has moved into regular operation after a roughly six-month testing phase. The early results are positive: instead of a platform for public shaming, it has become a point of contact for those affected and for witnesses, the organizers said.
Since its launch on January 15, 27 incidents have been reported according to the operators. The plan now is to raise awareness of the service and expand it further. The test phase mainly served to verify technical workflows and to further develop the website.
“The basic idea is to give people orientation,” said project leader and lawyer Isabelle Piwonka from the Bounce Back advisory center in Saarbrücken to the German press agency. The reporting center emerged directly from the experiences of advisory work.
Vandalism, Insults and Hate Speech Reported
Time and again, people have reported racist, antisemitic, or other hate-motivated incidents, often without knowing where to turn or what help is available.
The platform is designed to document incidents such as racism, antisemitism, anti-queer hostility, or anti-Muslim racism and to connect those affected with suitable advisory services upon request. According to the organizers, the aim is not to pursue potential perpetrators but to support those who have been harmed.
At the reporting center, not only those affected can file reports. Witnesses or people who notice queer-hostile graffiti, racist stickers, or right-wing propaganda can also submit tips. The operators say this option is already being used.
Among the reported incidents were antisemitic and racist graffiti, right-wing propaganda, hate speech online, transphobic insults, and physical assaults. Piwonka cited an incident in which a transgender person was insulted during a bicycle ride as an example.
Center Aims to Make the Dark Figure Visible
The reports are reviewed, categorized, and statistically recorded by the Bounce Back counseling center in Saarbrücken. One goal of the reporting center is to illuminate the so-called dark figure. Many incidents are never reported to the police and thus do not appear in crime statistics. The platform should provide supplementary insights.
Those affected can also receive support through the portal. For this purpose, 62 counseling centers in Saarland are available. Depending on the issue, referrals to specialized services are made.
According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, no personal data are published. The reporting center is neither a public database nor an instrument for sanctioning individuals. Information about alleged perpetrators is generally deleted or redacted.
The reporting center can be reached at meldestelle.saarland.de. The project is funded through the federal program “Democracy Lives!” and is housed at the Bounce Back advisory center. The financing for the coming years is reportedly secured.
