Suspected racial motivated attack on Roma family in Slovakia

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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 11:06:19 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Suspected racial motivated attack on Roma family in Slovakia

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Slovak Helsinki Committee <[email protected]>

Suspected racial motivated attack on Roma family in Slovakia


Statement of the Slovak Helsinki Committee
 
Bratislava. August 24, 2000.
 
On Sunday night - August 20. 2000 - the family of Mr. and Mrs. Balaz
from Zilina in central Slovakia has been woken up from their sleep by
three unknown intruders who started to beat them and their children.
The victims are just one of the numerous Roma families that were
subject to increasing racial motivated attacks throughout Slovakia in
the past years. As a result of the brutality, Mrs. Balaz died in a
hospital in Zilina after three days of coma, on August 23. 2000.
 
The Slovak Helsinki Committee wishes to express their deepest sorrow
and condolences to the Balaz family who is the victim not only of this
brutal attack, but also of the present days ineffective activity of
the state authorities when dealing with brute violence against members
of minorities living in Slovakia.
 
Since the state officials have a proven record of underestimating the
racial motivation of such primitive crimes against various minority
groups, the Slovak Helsinki Committee regards as inevitable the
monitoring of the law enforcement officials behavior and professional
activity while investigating this case.
 
At the same time, we urge the high state officials in Slovakia to
clearly condemn any such assaults incompatible with the principles of
a civilized and humane society and to express their solidarity with
the victims. We consider that the state officials should set an
example and lead the front line of a wider public concern for a better
cohabitation between members of various ethnic and national
backgrounds in Slovakia.
 
We are waiting for a fast and professional investigation in finding
the authors of this crime and their prosecution according to the
criminal laws of the country. We also wish to express our belief that
the law enforcement officials will try to do their best so that in the
immediate future such tragedies will not happen again.
 
The Slovak Helsinki Committee
 
--------------------------------------------------------------
Slovensky helsinsky vybor - Slovak Helsinki Committee
Kosicka 52, 821 08 Bratislava, Slovakia
tel./fax: +421 (7) 5596 8834, 5596 8841
e-mail: [email protected], web: www.changenet.sk/shv

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