By Askin Kiyagan
VIENNA (AA) - A total of 5,865 hate crimes were committed in Austria last year, up 7% compared to 2021, according to a report released over the weekend.
The report, published by the Interior Ministry, revealed that most of perpetrators of the crimes were Austrian nationals.
It revealed that hate crimes corresponded to 68.2% of all crimes committed in the country last year, with half of them involving "Nazi propaganda."
The report also indicated that the majority of the perpetrators were juveniles.
In a statement on the findings, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said that “through preventive work with young people, extremist tendencies can be recognized early and countermeasures can be taken.”
“The radical and extreme corners of our society are trying to undermine and thus endanger our democratic coexistence,” he added.
Justice Minister Alma Zadic noted that hate crime is one of the biggest threats to the unity of democratic societies, adding that “recent hate campaigns and calls for violence have shown us how real this threat is.”