EXIS: Capacity-Building Programme for Hellenic Police Officers on Addressing Violence Against LGBTQI+ Victims
Within the framework of the European EXIS project, a series of specialised training sessions is being delivered to officers of the Hellenic Police, focusing on the identification, prevention, and effective response to incidents of violence, discrimination, and hate crimes targeting LGBTQI+ persons.
The training programme is implemented with the support of the EXIS project consortium, coordinated by the European and Development Programmes Management Agency (E.D.P.M.A.). The educational activities are delivered by the University of West Attica (UNIWA) and the Center for Security Studies (KEMEA), in cooperation with Thessaloniki Pride, as partners of the European research project.
The programme combines interactive workshops, practical exercises, and mentoring sessions designed to strengthen participants’ knowledge and professional skills in recognising and investigating hate crimes, providing appropriate support to victims, and fostering trust and cooperation between law enforcement authorities and the communities they serve.
Special emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary collaboration and on the contribution of mental health professionals, social workers, and civil society organisations to victim support, while promoting an inclusive, human rights-based, and victim-centred approach to policing.
Since May 2026, training sessions have been successfully delivered in Kozani, Xanthi, Alexandroupoli, Orestiada, Ioannina, Serres, and Corfu, with additional sessions planned in other regions of Greece as part of the project’s ongoing implementation.
