Six in ten LGBTIQ persons in Croatia have experienced violence in public space such as streets and squares, schools and workplaces as well as at home, the Zagreb Pride NGO said in a statement on Friday, citing the preliminary results of a survey.

The survey was conducted between April and August on a sample of 767 respondents in Croatia and abroad, and the results were made public on International Coming Out Day, observed on October 11.

The results show that since 2013, 64 percent of respondents have experienced some form of violence on grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and/or sexual characteristics.

Slightly over 60 percent have experienced some form of discrimination in school, at the workplace or in contact with institutions such as the police, judiciary and health service.

For fear of discrimination or violence, 36 percent of respondents said they adjust their behaviour at home, 37 percent do so in school, nearly 40 percent at the workplace and 43 percent in cafes. As many as 61 percent said they adjust their behaviour in public space such as streets or squares.

“Unfortunately, the results confirm that our daily life continues to be pervaded by fear and uncertainty in all aspects, both in private and public life,” the statement said.

Zagreb Pride said it would use the results of the survey in planning its future work on improving the status of LGBTIQ persons in Croatia and reducing violence and discrimination by ensuring the satisfactory application of the existing laws and building trust in the police and judiciary to encourage reporting of violence and discrimination.