Speech

Fundamental Rights at the Heart of Policing

Speaker
Sirpa Rautio
FRA’s Director Sirpa Rautio's keynote speech at Europol’s conference “Fundamental rights at the heart of policing”. The conference, organised by Europol’s Fundamental Rights Officer, took place on 20 February 2025 at the Europol HQ in The Hague.

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Dear Executive Director De Bolle, dear Mr Zarzalejos, distinguished guests, dear colleagues,

I wish to commend Europol – and in particular the Fundamental Rights Officer – on its ambition in putting together this conference, and inviting such an essential group of stakeholders, each one key to our shared endeavour of embedding fundamental rights in policing. We find ourselves at a critical moment in this endeavour; where the importance of fundamental rights – for victims and for the police, with respect to our justice systems, and in our wider societies – is under threat of de-prioritisation. Events like this one today, where we can share experiences of challenges and discover ways forward are essential for underscoring the importance of fundamental rights in policing and, indeed, pushing it higher on the EU agenda. 

Fundamental rights compliant policing is crucial for two key reasons. The first reason relates to effectiveness. A fundamental rights-based approach to policing ultimately helps in shaping a more effective, efficient, and professional policing culture. Policing based on trust, with all sections of society, will encourage reporting, and will in turn shed more light on crimes. The second relates to legitimacy. Only a police force that treats everyone equally, and is fair and accountable for its actions, is perceived as being legitimate. 

The Fundamental Rights Agency is the EU’s independent agency for the protection and promotion of fundamental rights. We do this in a number of ways. One of the most important aspects of our work is the collection and analysis of EU-wide survey data, covering various populations, themes and rights – including people’s experiences of crime victimisation, reporting to the police and police stops.  

One of the most concerning findings we have seen – across every single one of our many large-scale surveys – is that crimes are under-reported. This is true for antisemitism, violence against women, anti-Muslim hatred and racism, and for crimes affecting the general population. It is the case for crimes that take place online and offline. Victims do not come forward for many reasons; but lack of trust in the police, or the police’s ability to do anything, are some of the main reasons why victims do not report. Looking specifically at anti-Semitism, up to 78% of those who had reported online antisemitism, antisemitic harassment or antisemitic violence to the police were ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ dissatisfied with how the police handled their complaint. Fewer than one in five LGBTIQ respondents who had been the victim of a hate-motivated physical or sexual attack reported it to the police or any organisation, including equality bodies, health or social care services, or NGOs. One in three victims said that this was due to a lack of trust in the police, or because they feared the reactions of the police.  

So, following on from all these worrying findings, what can we do to turn things around?

One area which needs to be embraced relates to support and respect for victims. The Victims’ Rights Directive clearly places responsibility on EU Member States to empower and encourage victims to report crimes, and to support them through this process. In turn, increased reporting presents the authorities with a more accurate picture of the extent and nature of crime. This can only happen when victims have trust in the police – non-discrimination and dignified treatment by the police and other authorities is a must and not an option.

While police forces naturally focus their efforts on protecting law and order, a contemporary force can do this whilst also framing its identity around serving diverse populations in their entirety.

A diverse police force can also help to ensure enhanced trust in policing among diverse populations. While there is little data on demographic diversity in police forces, there are many proactive recruitment initiatives happening across the Member States.

An important principle of checks and balances is accountability and oversight. An independent oversight mechanism is not only in the interest of those who interact with the police, but also in the interests of the police to protect themselves against allegations of misconduct. To uphold the legitimacy of police forces, authorities should do their utmost to shed light on allegations of fundamental rights violations by the police and should sanction wrongdoing. 

While tomorrow’s topics focus on fundamental rights training, I would like to emphasise the need for bolder steps which need to go beyond training. A shift in the organisational culture is required to reform existing patterns of behaviour and to place fundamental rights at the heart of policing. A victim-centered approach will also help such a shift, and we can see these positive changes to date in many Member States – for example, with respect to children who are victims of violence. 

While today’s audience is predominantly composed of law enforcement professionals, I will finish by highlighting the benefits of cooperating with civil society organisations, human rights institutions, victim support services, and community and faith-based organisations. An open dialogue between law enforcement and these diverse actors will inevitably lead to enhancing trust and understanding. Such an exchange will help the police to better understand certain crime phenomena, which in turn will equip them to design adequate responses. 

Putting fundamental rights at the heart of policing - as today’s title says - will serve to achieve a just society for all. Europe needs to be a safe, inclusive space for everyone, and this conference serves as a valuable step on the road to achieving this.

Thank you, and I wish you all the best for the coming two days. 

 

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