On November 8 2018, National LGBT* rights organization LGL organized a training for law enforcement officers in Kaunas, led by the Deputy Head of the Mainstream division of the Lithuanian Police Academy Vilius Velička and an expert on victomology Aliona Palujanova. Furthermore, the participants had a chance to meet an investigator within the Democracy and Hate Crime Unit of the Stockholm county police Jonas Jonzon and the founder of Swedish Gay police association and an inspector of Hate Crime Unit in Stockholm region Göran Stanton.

The training was held as part of the international project “Come Forward: Empowering and Supporting Victims of Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes” whose aim is to increase comeptences of the law enforcement officers in tackling hate-motivated crimes.

The trainees from Kaunas county police department increased their knowledge on the effective implementation of the national legislation regarding hate crimes targetting LGBT persons and other marginalized groups. Furthermore, they were introduced to different means of ensuring that the specific needs of anti-LGBT hate crime victims are met with regards to the EU Victims‘ Rights Directive.

During the meeting with the officers from the Swedish police hate crime unit the trainees had an incredible opportunity to share their expertice with each other in tackling hate-motivated crimes and ensuring the need to strengthen a mutual trust between the law enforcement officers and the general population.

We are thankful for Swedish Embassy in Lithuania for their utmost support and kind co-operation in bringing and sharing their good practice in tackling hate crimes in Sweden with our officers in Lithuania.

© Augustas Didžgalvis photography