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According to him, the vast majority of the population is unaware that hate speech is a violation of human rights and can lead to legal liability, and seven out of ten people exposed to hate speech would not report it or seek help.
According to the survey, the majority of people facing negative comments online would go nowhere (47 percent, or would not know where to go), 22 percent, according to the Office of the Equal Opportunity Ombudsman .
18 percent indicated that they would go to law enforcement, another 15%. – to the administrator of social networks or websites. 2% would contact the Office of the Inspector of Journalistic Ethics, which is responsible for preventing hate speech. population.
More than a fifth of survey participants believe that negative comments online about certain groups in society are reckless jokes. A third think such comments are freedom of expression, and 46% disagree and another 22% do not. I did not know what to answer.
At the request of the Service, the Vilmorus company carried out a representative public opinion poll on hate speech in October, and 1,001 Lithuanian residents were interviewed. In response to their findings, the Ombudsman’s Office for Equal Opportunities, together with the Office of the Inspector of Journalistic Ethics, launched an awareness campaign this week titled “Hate speech is a crime.”
The Ombudsman for Equal Opportunities, Agneta Skardžiuvienė, hopes that the campaign will encourage the population to consider hate speech for what it really is: a crime.
“Incitement to hatred is an act prohibited by the Penal Code. We want to remind the public not only of the legal regulation, but also why incitement to hatred is so harmful. It violates the principle of equality of persons, intimidates, humiliates and it makes them feel inferior. No Lithuanian resident deserves that, “he says.
According to Gražina Ramanauskaitė, a journalistic ethics inspector, people sometimes mistakenly say any offensive word in hate speech. In his opinion, this perpetuates a misunderstanding of this crime.
“Hate speech is an expression that incites, incites, incites or justifies hatred against a person or a group of people precisely because of their identity. Laws protect the equality of people, encompassing different characteristics of people, such as nationality, race, sexual orientation, gender, disability, age, and more. Banning hate speech does not mean not expressing one’s beliefs or criticizing other people’s actions. It is important to remember that hate speech is harmful, because it attacks the equality of people, ”says G. Ramanauskaitė.
According to the survey, 65 percent. Survey participants believe that negative comments about certain groups in society should be considered a form of discrimination, but only 36%. would agree that such comments would be considered a criminal offense (33% would disagree and another 31% did not know what to respond).
The vast majority of respondents (71%) agreed that negative comments online about certain groups in society foster hatred and resistance in society (11.5% disagreed).
During the study, people were presented with situations and it was assessed whether this was considered hate speech.
A situation in which people of other races are threatened in the store and ordered to return to their place of origin, 84 percent. people considered hate speech. 3% do not think so. surveyed.
For example, in a computer game aimed at Roma living in a camp, 66 percent are urged to “shoot” them and thus win the game. people considered hate speech. 7% did not agree and another 26% did not agree. I could not say.
Cases of comments on social media calling for violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people were hated by 81 percent. study participants. 3% don’t believe it and 15% don’t. respondents had no opinion.
The case presented during the investigation, when a swastika was dumped from the lands in the center of the Jewish community, was considered to be 75% incitement to hatred. people. 4% did not agree and 21% did not agree. he had no opinion.
A situation in which a politician on television calls for the castration of people with mental disabilities (so that they do not “multiply”) was acclaimed by 78%. people, 6 percent. did not believe it, and 17 percent. he had no opinion.
The case in which a political scientist, commenting on a terrorist attack abroad, claims that “all Muslims are terrorists” was considered 76 percent hate speech. of those surveyed, 5 percent. did not agree with the statement and 19 percent. he had no opinion.
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