Czech detectives charge man from Moldova over conflict in Krupka, he faces deportation
Detectives have charged a 33-year-old man from Moldova with disorderly conduct in association with a conflict that arose among several people on a housing estate in the town of Krupka in the Teplice area. The Czech Police tweeted about the charges today.
The man faces deportation. Police had previously refuted allegations circulating on social media that the incident on Sunday involved Ukrainians.
“Detectives in Teplice charged a 33-year-old citizen of Moldova with felony disorderly conduct after reviewing all of the evidence and information. Should the court find him guilty, he faces a prison sentence of up to two years,” police spokesperson Kamil Marek said.
“After all the necessary steps have been taken he will be transferred to the Aliens Police, where a proceeding on his administrative deportation will be opened against him for the purpose of his leaving the territories of European Union Member States and the Schengen Zone. Officers are continuing to investigate the case,” said police.
The incident occurred on the Maršov housing estate and police said several persons involved were drunk. Video footage from Krupka started spreading on social media after 19:00.
Among local Romani residents a rumor spread alleging that “Ukrainians [sic] shut several children into a basement so they could sexually [sic] harass them there.” Dozens of Romani residents then demonstrated in Krupka in front of the police station that same day.
Police have refuted the allegation that what happened involved a morals offense or had a sexual subtext. “The course of the investigation so far is not confirming that this incident had a sexual subtext or was a morals offense,” the police spokesperson told news server Romea.cz, who had refuted the allegations that Ukrainians were involved in the conflict yesterday.
“Furthermore, we are refuting the allegations that are appearing on social media alleging that persons of Ukrainian nationality were involved in this incident, they were not. We are continuing to investigate and we will provide more information as soon as that becomes possible,” the police spokesperson said.
In June, tensions arose in Brno, Czech Republic between Romani people and Ukrainians after an incident during which a young Romani man died near the Brno Reservoir at the start of a fireworks festival. According to allegations that have not been confirmed by authorities, the perpetrator was Ukrainian; police only reported that the suspect was a foreign national.
That suspect is in custody. Romani community members held a demonstration in Brno in mid-June over the incident.
At the beginning of July, police intervened in Pardubice in a street brawl between several people. One participant in the conflict was slightly injured.
Police arrested three people and are investigating the matter; they have not commented on the nationalities of those involved. According to information received by news server Romea.cz, what happened was a conflict between a group of Romani people and three men allegedly from Ukraine.
The following day, 2 July, hundreds of Romani people protested in Pardubice. They demanded more security locally.
