Effective Prosecution of Hate Crimes as a Precondition for Their Prevention

The most serious problem in regard to dealing with hate crime in Macedonia is the fact that in the majority of cases, these crimes are not presented as hate crimes but as "normal" crimes lacking the recognition of the true motivation behind them. Thus the official hate crime rate in this country typically does not represent the true situation. This article will analyze the importance of effective prosecution of hate crimes, both for the recognition of the problem and for future prevention of these crimes. It is evident that without institutional action these crimes will not only continue to happen, but they will also continue to be "hidden" from the official data, which unfortunately, does not solve but rather complicates the problem. The article will analyze the legal regulation of hate crimes in Macedonia and the efforts that are being made to provide better legislation with the aim of effectively prosecuting such crimes. The official and shadow reports will be analyzed in a desk research method and comparison will be made in regard to the prosecution of hate crimes in the regional countries. Conclusions and recommendations will offer ideas about how the legislative amendments and solutions found in comparative practice can contribute to improvement in regard to prosecuting hate crimes in Macedonia.