Anti-Semitic crimes on the rise in Malmö
Jews in Malmö in southern Sweden have been the victims of an increased number of hate-crimes in 2011, according to local police.
During the first six months of the year there has been the same number of anti-Semitic crimes reported as were reported for the whole of 2010.
“The increase in reported crime could be due to the police investing in more resources to solve these kinds of crimes, or that the tendency to report is higher now because there are more incidents of an anti-Semitic nature”, Susanne Gosenius, a hate-crimes coordinator with the Malmö police told the TT news agency.
She added, however, that there may very well be a large number of crimes that are never reported to the police.
In many respects, Malmö seems to be a bit different from the rest of the country in terms of hate-crimes against Jews, Gosenius explained.
At the same time, however, the number of reported Islamophobic crimes has decreased compared to the first six months of 2010.
Fredrik Sieradzki, spokesperson for the Jewish Community of Malmö, said that the crimes are often attacks on people either arriving or leaving the synagogue.
The police in Malmö have registered a total number of 21 anti-Semitic crimes and 105 crimes against immigrants in the first half of 2011.
The total number last year was 20 and 116, respectively, for the same type of crimes.
In Gothenburg, police don't have specific statistics anti-Semitic crimes.
“They are seen as being part of hate-crimes”, said police analyst Thomas Pettersson to TT.
However, the Jewish congregation in Gothenburg does not view the issue with the same urgency as the Malmö congregation.
“It’s not that we are entirely without problems of course," said Daniel Jonas, head of the congregation in Gothenburg, to TT.
He explained that it's not uncommon for someone to shout out "damn Jews" or other derogatory slogans, most often outside of a synagogue.
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During the first six months of the year there has been the same number of anti-Semitic crimes reported as were reported for the whole of 2010.
“The increase in reported crime could be due to the police investing in more resources to solve these kinds of crimes, or that the tendency to report is higher now because there are more incidents of an anti-Semitic nature”, Susanne Gosenius, a hate-crimes coordinator with the Malmö police told the TT news agency.
She added, however, that there may very well be a large number of crimes that are never reported to the police.
In many respects, Malmö seems to be a bit different from the rest of the country in terms of hate-crimes against Jews, Gosenius explained.
At the same time, however, the number of reported Islamophobic crimes has decreased compared to the first six months of 2010.
Fredrik Sieradzki, spokesperson for the Jewish Community of Malmö, said that the crimes are often attacks on people either arriving or leaving the synagogue.
The police in Malmö have registered a total number of 21 anti-Semitic crimes and 105 crimes against immigrants in the first half of 2011.
The total number last year was 20 and 116, respectively, for the same type of crimes.
In Gothenburg, police don't have specific statistics anti-Semitic crimes.
“They are seen as being part of hate-crimes”, said police analyst Thomas Pettersson to TT.
However, the Jewish congregation in Gothenburg does not view the issue with the same urgency as the Malmö congregation.
“It’s not that we are entirely without problems of course," said Daniel Jonas, head of the congregation in Gothenburg, to TT.
He explained that it's not uncommon for someone to shout out "damn Jews" or other derogatory slogans, most often outside of a synagogue.
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