Trust Toward the Criminal Justice System Among Swedish Roma: A Mixed-Methodology Approach

• Author: Simon Wallengren,Anders Wigerfelt,Berit Wigerfelt,Caroline Mellgren
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/2153368720930405
• Published date: 01 April 2023
• Date: 01 April 2023
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

Trust Toward the Criminal

Justice System Among

Swedish Roma: A Mixed-

Methodology Approach

Simon Wallengren

1

, Anders Wigerfelt

1

,

Berit Wigerfelt

1

, and Caroline Mellgren

1

Abstract

Minority populations’ trust toward the criminal justice system is understudied in many

parts of Europe, including Sweden. This article will contribute to this field by exam-

ining the trust in the criminal justice system among the Roma community in Sweden.

The aim of the study was to (1) estimate the Roma community’s trust toward the

criminal justice system, (2) examine what factors influence the community’s trust

toward the criminal justice system, and (3) analyze whether trust toward the

authorities influences the Roma community’s willingness to report victimization. The

study used a mixed-methodology design in combining survey data (n¼610) with in-

depth interviews (N¼30). The findings show that the respondents have a low level of

trust in the criminal justice system authorities. According to the regression analysis,

the strongest predictor of trust was shown to be explained by the respondent’s

perception of procedural unfairness. Qualitative findings supported these results

while also highlighting cultural effects and historical processes that explain the com-

munity’s lack of trust. Finally, trust in the authorities seems to be an important factor

that influences crime reporting.

Keywords

criminal justice system, trust, police, minority, Roma

Citizens in the Nordic countries have uniquely high levels of trust in their institutions,

including the criminal justice system (Andreasson, 2017; Van Damme et al., 2015).

However, many international studies have indicated that trust toward the criminal

1

Malmo

¨University, Sweden

Corresponding Author:

Simon Wallengren, Malmo

¨University, 211 19 Malmo

¨, Sweden.

Email: simon.wallengren@mau.se

Race and Justice

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DOI: 10.1177/2153368720930405

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2023, Vol. 13(2) 207–230

justice system is often significantly lower among specific ethnic minority popula-

tions than among nonminority citizens (Bradford et al., 2015; Weitzer & Tuch,

2005). Minorities’ trust in the authorities is understudied in many parts of Europe,

including Sweden, where most studies on the trust in law enforcement agencies tend

to be based solely on the general Swedish population (Van Damme et al., 2015). This

study will contribute to the research field by analyzing a hitherto unexplored ethnic

community in Sweden, namely, the Roma and their trust toward the criminal justice

system.

The Roma are a transnational minority of culturally distinctive ethnic sub-

populations that are characterized by their history of marginalization. There are

many reasons to gather estimates of such a population’s trust toward the authorities.

If empirical examinations indicate that the trust of a specific population in the

criminal justice system is low, this could be interpreted as a severe social problem.

There is a risk that criminal investigations will be difficult to conduct if the

authorities do not enjoy the legitimacy and trust of the community they are trying to

support (Tyler & Fagan, 2008). If a specific community does not report the crimes

they suffer, there is also a risk that the reporting statistics will be distorted, which

may have negative effects on the legal system’s resource allocation (Skogan, 2009).

From a victim’s perspective, low trust in the authorities may lead to feelings of

exclusion and reduced levels of security, which in turn may make these groups

further vulnerable (Bradford & Jackson, 2016). However, since Sweden l acks ethnic

register data, policymakers are unable to draw any conclusions about many com-

munitiesthatmaybeingreatestneedofsupport.Anotherreasontoexaminethe

Roma community’s trust in the authorities is that the empirical examination of

underserved populations may offer an important theoretical contribution by enabling

us to learn about the differences between groups and cultural contexts and thus give

us a more in-depth insight into the development of trust.

For this study, a questionnaire was distributed, and in-depth interviews were

conducted among Roma living in Gothenburg and Malmo¨ (Sweden) to answer the

following questions: To what extent do the Roma trust the criminal justice system?

What determines the Roma community’s trust in the criminal justice system? and

Finally, does trust toward the authorities influence the Roma community’s willingness

to report victimization? This study thus has the potential to expand our understanding

of ethnic minority populations regarding law enforcement.

The Roma

It is believed that the ancestors of the Roma, for unknown reasons, wandered out of

Northern India in the 11th century toward Europe. In Byzantium, this “proto-Roma”

culture matured to an “authentic” Roma culture with Greek cultural influences. Soon

afterward, the Roma spread out across the whole European continent. The first Roma

who arrived in Sweden, in 1512, are today known as “Travelers” (in Swedish

“Resandefolket”). The organized persecution of the Roma community (often labeled

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