Czech Republic: Trial of tragic death; Romani defendants say they did not want conflict

Last Thursday, just four months after the tragic conflict in front of the Sokolovna restaurant in Strakonice which cost Milan Šlemenda his life, suspect Ivan Demeter, who is not yet 20, stood before the Regional Court charged with committing intentional grievous bodily harm resulting in death. If convicted, Demeter faces up to 10 years in prison.

What precisely happened on 31 August 2012 is known only to the four young Romani men who went into the restaurant that day to buy cigarettes. Šlemenda was drinking at the bar; the youths have testified that he started insulting them and laughing at them.

News server iDNES.cz reports that Demeter testified in court as follows: "Inside he called us fools and laughed at us. We didn’t pay any attention to him, we didn’t want any problems – we just politely asked him why he was laughing at us. He started to laugh and snarl at us even more."

The youths testified that when they went back outside, Šlemenda followed them shouting racist insults, calling them "black swine" or "niggers". They also claimed to have been afraid he would physically assault them. When asked why they didn’t run away then, they said they didn’t know.

Demeter said Šlemenda allegedly tried to punch him in the face, but he blocked the blow with his forearm. His friends did not confirm any such attack occurred. Demeter then testified that after this first blow he "just lightly" struck Šlemenda once in the face. When Šlemenda fell to the ground as a result of the blow, the youths were startled and fled the scene. Demeter said he "had been in shock" from the incident. "We didn’t want this to happen," the youngest witness testified.

Šlemenda died in hospital three days later as a result of injuries sustained during his fall. He suffered fractures to the skull cavity at the occipital bone which caused contusions to his frontal lobes and swelling of the brain.

The court also heard testimony from Šlemenda’s girlfriend. Among other claims, she insisted some of the deceased’s friends had been Romani.

News server Deník.cz reports that the barman who had been on duty at the time also testified. He said he had not noticed any contact between Šlemenda and those particular customers, saying he had been serving a different table and that they were all gone by the time he got back to the bar.

The manager of the restaurant also testified that the Romani youths and Šlemenda had been standing right next to one another at the bar, but that he didn’t overhear any communications between them when he walked past. When he returned to the bar, no customers were there at all and the front door was open. He went to look outside and found the victim lying on his back with his arms outspread. He heard someone calling "You really gave it to him…" from the direction of the park.

News server Deník.cz reports that the main hearing of the trial is scheduled to continue. Šlemenda’s family members have joined the proceedings and are seeking compensation for damages in the amount of CZK 614 023 (EUR 24 000).