Czech court to hear appeal in case of brutal assault by non-Romani adults on Romani children in Lipník nad Bečvou
This week the Olomouc Regional Court will hear the appeal in the case of the assault on a group of Romani children in the chateau park in Lipník nad Bečvou, Přerov district. The first-instance court in Přerov handed down suspended sentences against a married couple, Petra Pumprlová and Stanislav Pumprla, for the crimes of defamation of an ethnic, national, racial or other group, rioting, and battery in the much-followed scandal of 2019.
The couple, according to the indictment, physically and verbally attacked seven children, several of whom had to subsequently receive medical treatment at a hospital. The couple has appealed that verdict and deny their guilt.
The District Court in Přerov closed the case with its verdict last December and the Regional Court will hear the appeal tomorrow, as presiding Judge Michal Jelínek confirmed to the Czech News Agency a week ago. The incident happened in April 2019.
According to the indictment, the couple first insulted the children in racist terms, then punched and slapped their faces. The assailants are said to have knocked some of the children to the ground and then kicked them.
According to medical reports, the children suffered bruises, cervical spine sprains, mild concussions and superficial injuries. Attorneys for the victims called the attack brutal.
Pumprla has been sentenced to 14 months in prison, conditionally suspended for three years, while Pumprlová received a milder sentence of 12 months in prison, conditionally suspended for two years. Originally they faced as long as five years in prison without parole.
The couple deny their guilt. They admit coming into contact with the children while addressing a problem with them, but not harming them.
The appeal against the finding of guilt and the sentence was made immediately during their response to the verdict. Police originally categorized the case as a misdemeanor against civil coexistence, but later requalified it to felony attempted battery and rioting.
Eventually police began prosecuting the couple for the racial motivation behind their actions. The incident sparked tensions locally, and police collaborated with the town hall, a Romani issues specialist and crime prevention assistants to calm the situation.
