Czech Police Inspector-General doesn't know who released video of assault in Duchcov, but DSSS seems to

According to a report published by news server iDNES.cz, the Inspector-General of the Security Forces has shelved its investigation into the release of a video capturing an assault committed by several Romani people against a non-Romani married couple in the town of Duchcov earlier this year. Police say they did not succeed in determining who was behind the release of the footage to the media. 

The security camera recording sparked strong emotions among the public and the incident has greatly increased ethnic tensions. The video was published on the website of the neo-Nazi group "Radical Boys" and was disseminated through social networking sites.

The Inspector-General was trying to determine whether the video recording was leaked by a police officer. "We could not confirm that it got out through the police," Inspector-General spokesperson Radka Sandorová was quoted as saying by news server iDNES.cz, adding that many people had access to the video.

The iDNES.cz report was posted to the Facebook page of the DSSS cell in Duchcov. Jiří Petřivalský, the chair of the Prague regional DSSS organization and its Republic-wide Arbitration and Conciliation Commission, then commented on the news item in such a manner as to indicate that he knows who is responsible for the video leak.  

"Yes, yes, the dissemination of that video was very well done. The boys from the police inspectorate don’t have to know anything about it. It’s enough that we know whom to thank," Petřivalský commented.

The assault on the married couple took place during the night of Saturday, 18 May as they were going home from a discotheque. The assailants kicked and punched both the man and the woman.

The attack was watched by a municipal police officer who saw it live through the security camera but did not intervene. "I don’t know why he didn’t act, but he was immediately fired on Tuesday. He did call for a patrol of the municipal and the state police, but naturally he should have intervened. He had the means to do so," Josef Hulín, the director of the Duchcov Municipal Police, told news server iDNES.cz  

Three of the five assailants were taken into custody after the state prosecutor in Teplice filed a complaint with the Regional Court. They are all members of a particular family that has been causing problems in the town.

The May assault prompted three demonstrations against Romani people in the town, one organized by local non-Romani residents, one organized by the right-wing extremist DSSS, and a third which was never officially announced and was attended by about 50 local non-Romani residents. Police intervened against the first two incidents in order to prevent the mob from attacking local Romani people who had nothing to do with the incident.  

Another anti-Romani demonstration is planned to take place in Duchcov on 17 August. The event has been convened by the "Czech Lions" (Čeští lvi) right-wing extremist movement.