I hate online, here are the legal consequences…
From migrants to the police, just to stay on the latest news stories, hateful statements are becoming more and more numerous on the internet. But they have precise consequences for our law. Disseminate on social networks, in blogs and on the internet in general, phrases that incite discrimination or commit violence for religious reasons, ethnic or racial means committing a crime. Here are the possible consequences.
From migrants to the police, just to stay on the latest news stories, hateful statements are becoming more and more numerous on the internet. But they have precise consequences for our law. Disseminate on social networks, in blogs and on the internet in general, phrases that incite discrimination or commit violence for religious reasons, ethnic or racial means committing crimes foreseen by the so-called Mancino law (law 205/93).
If hate speech spreads ideas based on racial or ethnic superiority or hatred
The crime is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years. To integrate it, just write comments that incite hatred for discriminatory reasons. The rule aims to avoid chain reactions, the spread of violent ideas based on racial superiority or hatred.
If you incite violence for racial reasons, ethnic or religious
The crime is punishable by imprisonment from 6 months to four years. Write comments or posts on social networks inviting others to commit racially motivated violence, ethnic or religious can integrate this crime.
Additional sanctions
The law provides, in addition to the penalty, possible additional sanctions ranging from public utility work to the suspension of the driving license up to the obligation to return home by a certain time and the ban on political propaganda.
These are crimes of real danger that can be prosecuted ex officio
This means that, for example, acts of violence do not need to be committed but that there is a real danger of spreading hatred and the implementation of criminal plans based on discrimination..
However, incitement to hatred must give rise to and fuel the stimulus in others that drives discrimination.
Anyone can initiate criminal proceedings for these crimes, a party complaint is not necessary.
The New York Convention
Hate crimes are the result of the signing of the New York International Convention aimed at eliminating all forms of racial discrimination detrimental to human dignity. With the Mancino Law the sanctions were modified and a specific aggravating circumstance concerning racial discrimination was also introduced. The penalty is increased by up to half if you offend someone for the purpose of ethnic discrimination, racial or religious.
