Brutal bullying in Hodonín, Czech Republic: 12-year-old girl physically assaulted and racially insulted, mother says school has ignored the situation for weeks
A video is making the rounds on social media that captures the brutal bullying of a 12-year-old schoolgirl in Hodonín, Czech Republic. Some of her fellow pupils humiliate her, pull her hair and slap her, while others behave like spectators, filming the incident and laughing.
The video was published by the girl’s mother, who says she is desperate because the school has long ignored the situation. The schoolchildren also subjected the girl to racist taunts.
Police are now investigating the case and according to their findings so far will likely launch a criminal proceedings for the specific illegal behaviors documented. Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková and the civil society members of the Czech Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs are also involved in seeking a solution.
The mother of the victimized girl published the video showing the physical attacks on her daughter to Facebook. She described in her post that she has been dealing with the situation for several weeks now but that the school has taken no steps against the perpetrators.
“The Primary School Vančurova–Hodonín knew this, they knew this bullying is escalating and that the children made a film in which my daughter has to beg them to stop. I’ve been dealing with this for several weeks now. If the school had done something and punished the children when I reported this to them, it would not have escalated and it wouldn’t have had to go this far. They were kicking my daughter in the head, she was forced to lick their boots, they spat on her,” the girl’s mother said.
News server Romea.cz has seen the repulsive video of the bullying but will not be publishing it, not even with the identities of those involved blurred, in order to prevent secondary victimization of the 12-year-old schoolchild.
Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková is investigating the case
Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková spent all of Sunday dealing with the case, as did other civil society members of the Czech Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs. “Such violence is absolutely unacceptable. I am actively investigating the situation, I am in contact with a representative of the establisher of the school and I am addressing it with the Regional Coordinator for Roma Minority Affairs and with members of the Council for Roma Minority Affairs. I will provide more information about this incident in the next few days,” she told Romea.cz.
The mother of the victim says the bullying has been going on for several years now. “I work as a paramedic, I am raising my daughter properly. I have saved all of my communication with the school, already in the third grade my daughter wanted to harm herself because of the bullying but the principal ignored it,” she told news server Novinky.cz.
Journalists managed to acquire copies of the desperate messages the girl sends her mother. In them she writes, for instance, “Mom, she wants to beat me up, come to the front of the school.”
According to the girl’s mother, the situation escalated when her daughter defended herself by giving one of the schoolgirls involved a couple of slaps. They attacked her daughter again the next day and the situation devolved into one where several dozen children surrounded her daughter, humiliated her, kicked her, and spat on her.
After that assault, the girl had to visit the emergency room and everything was reported to the police, which started investigating
Police will probably start a criminal proceedings
“As of the late evening on Saturday we have been investigating the assault that happened in Hodonín. For the time being we have interrogated the family members of some of the persons involved, but there are more interrogations to come,” police spokesperson Petr Vala said on Sunday afternoon.
“Detectives are also working on the case in addition to Hodonín police officers. On the basis of our findings so far, it is likely that criminal proceedings for the specific illegal behaviors will be opened in the near future. We will be interested in particular in the roles played by each person involved in the case and also in what preceded it. Since we have ascertained that this involves juveniles and minors, we will not be able to provide detailed information,” said Vala.
The principal of the school implicated in the incident has given an absolutely unbelievable statement about the bullying at the school to CNN Prima News. “We believe this is a reprisal, an attack on the school, a failure to address obligations when it comes to recreational activities,” principal Andrej Pavlíků told the Crime News program reporters.
Fuková reminded the public what their options are in cases of bullying. “I am aware that this situation might be disturbing, not just for those directly involved, but also for the wider public. If you experience mental problems or have any kind of concerns, contact the experts on the free First Aid for Mental Health Line: 116 123. For children and juveniles there is the Safety Line: 116 111. Their services are provided nonstop,” she told Romea.cz.
