Roma react to early release of two of the Vítkov arsonists by a Czech court: Shock, injustice, this is contempt for Romani suffering

The convicts have completed two-thirds of their 20-year sentences for multiple counts of racially-motivated attempted murder. Judge Lubomír Kozák has put them both on probation for seven years.

Tomáš Ščuka, civil society member, Czech Government Council for Romani Minority Affairs

In 2009 there were chain demonstrations and disagreement shown with this crime by the broader civil society, led by eminent figures of cultural and political life. If, as a society, we are to take the case of Natálka as a warning that we need to move toward mutual tolerance and better interpersonal relationships, then it is not possble to release the perpetrators after serving two-thirds of their sentences and forgive them eight years! Who will return Natálka’s childhood, which she almost lost because of the arsonists’ unforgivable abomination?! The judge’s verdict is just based on a expert evaluation of the convicts’ ability to live an orderly life, but do 12 years in prison correspond to their subjective culpability or to the endangerment (the harm) they caused? Do the Czech courts work on the basis of some kind of inversion? When it comes to crimes of property, we don’t forgive a single year of a sentence, but for felony attempted murder and destruction of somebody’s property we forgive eight years of a sentence? Naturally it’s up to the family what position to take on this early release, but this incomprehensible court decision causes distrust in the justice system! For the Romani community, this is a signal of a far greater injustice. If we look at the racially-motivated murders of Romani people in the 1990s, adequate sentences were never handed down against them. The case of Natálka was the first adequate sentence (and it was because civil society resisted). It’s obvious the judge did not take into account the needs of the victims or any moral perspective on what we as a society should learn from this.

Jarmila Balážová, journalist

Naturally I’m shocked by the court decision. This was a premeditated, shocking crime which I consider one of the most brutal racial attacks, other than the beating to death of Tibor Berky in front of his children and his wife on 13 May 1995. In the case of this arson attack, it’s all the more horrible because the most seriously affected victim was a little girl who was just two years old at the time. Despite doctors’ enormous efforts and endeavors, she has suffered permanent repercussions, she has had to undergo dozens of operations, she lives in great pain – and that’s just the physical aspect. Psychologically she will probably never be able to absolutely overcome what happened to her, not even with the aid and the efforts of dozens of people who were affected in an unprecedented way by the brutality of this attack and its consequences in 2009. That makes the court’s verdict even less understandable, the court should have weighed the society-wide impact of this much more consistently, and naturally should also have weighed its consequences for Natálka and her entire family – these assailants absolutely changed their lives, made them a visible target, caused them the kind of pain that nobody will ever erase. If it were not for the enormous bravery of Natálka’s mother, the unreal viability of Natálka herself, the many years of care provided by the Life Together (Vzájemné soužití) organization and others, then the family would be significantly worse off. According to what I know, they have naturally been very affected by the current decision. How could they not be?! Once again, this will be spoken about, written about, the trauma will be revived in a completely different way… Natálka will see the people who caused her so much harm. Just try to tell her, after this verdict, that there is justice! I sincerely hope she will receive systematic psychological and therapeutic aid, because she and her whole family will need it again. For quite some time there has been a lack of open debate on this issue by legal experts… when else should they be holding this debate than now, over the correctness of this verdict? 

Lucie Fuková, Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs

I am in shock, at a human level and at a moral level, over the decision by the court in Šumperk to conditionally release two of the arsonists in the Vítkov case. I respect the decision, but I cannot imagine how Natálka and her family must be feeling now. I will try to find an appropriate format for supporting them.

Jan Dužda, Prague City Hall’s Romani Coordinator

I believe this is a disgrace to the Czech judicial system. It is impossible to proceed like this, it just tells everybody that attempted murder or even murder itself will just cost somebody approximately 12 years of their freedom. It’s a degradation and a mockery of everything that should symbolize a civilized society in the 21st centry. It’s the total devastation of ethics, morality, and solidarity! All democratic societies in the modern world are, paradoxically, based on such aspects. Today distrust of Czech institutions, of the Government of the Czech Republic, and of the majority society has been strengthened across all levels of Romani society. I predict that the last two decades of efforts by many people to improve the situation of Romani people in the Czech Republic and the relationship between the majority and the Roma are now in vain because of this verdict. Essentially, we are actually in the process of taking one hard-won step forward, and all it takes is something like this to return us all, non-Roma and Roma, 10 steps back! This is absolutely unacceptable!

Patrik Banga, author and journalist

I consider the court’s decision to be unjust. Natálka will live for the rest of her life with the repercussions of what was done to her, but the perpetrators won’t even serve their full sentences. This decision could serve as a sign to other neo-Nazis that if such a horrible crime were to be repeated, all they’ll have to serve is two-thirds of their sentence. I didn’t agree with the original verdict in the first place, it seemed too mild to me. For this unprecedented crime they should have been sentenced to life in prison.

Cyril Koky, Coordinator for Romani Affairs and Foreign National Integration at the Central Bohemian Regional Authority

I am unable to agree with the court decision in this matter. The court should have carefully considered its decision in relation to the victims. The perpetrators committed an especially grave crime and they should serve their sentences in full.

Jaroslav Miko, activist and truck driver

One level of this is legal, whereby the court deciding on their release assessed just the perpetrators’ behavior while serving their sentences, or what their stance is on the entirety of their attack today, whether their remorse is sincere or purely purpose-built. In any event, from a human perspective, it seems extremely unjust to me that for multiple counts of racially-motivated attempted murder they will just serve approximately 13 years. Natálka’s trauma will last the rest of her life. She is unable to apply for any release from her lifelong suffering. Natálka to this day just communicates with her mother and sisters. She has yet another arduous operation ahead of her, and it decidedly will not be her last. The racist attack also impacted her education. I am sincerely sad about this.

Emil Voráč, director, Khamoro organization

I’m shocked, yesterday I read about the convicts’ application for conditional release from their sentencing and the forgiveness of the remaining eight years for the arson attack in Vítkov against a Romani family where the intention of two of the convicted arsonists was to murder the entire family. They may not have managed to murder the entire family, but the youngest family member, Natálka, is maimed for life by the burns over 80 % of the surface of her body. I am not just shocked, the entire Romani nation in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia is shocked, as are the non-Romani people who do not cultivate racism. Yes, today I read that the arsonists will soon be free and that they want to start living normal lives. In any event these potential murderers have a chance to start a new life, made possible by the Czech justice system. Natálka and her parents will never get such a chance. That little girl lost a satisfied childhood, she lost the opportunity to be educated or to have a life partner, and according to the doctors’ evaluations, her family has to come to terms with the fact that she is not just disabled, but that she will live a much shorter life than she otherwise would have, a life of eternal suffering. On social media, I can’t help but see the communications of some of the racist nation of the Czech Republic, where the followers of fascism are applauding the District Court in Šumperk and calling for finishing what the arsonists’ intentions were, or attacking Natálka’s family and so forth. Those hateful people are the ones who condemn Ukraine and call it “fascist”. They are the same people who are against the vaccination to stop COVID-19 and who support Russia. During the previous Government I also had my doubts about the judiciary, the police and justice in general, and now I am afraid that because of this decision I am back in that same place, I doubt justice will ever be done in this state. Basically, I have doubted this since the beginning of this state’s approach toward the Romani Ukrainians fleeing the horrors of war seeking temporary protection here. I am afraid there will be a denouement that could have tragic results, I believe provocations against Natálka’s family will certainly happen.

Josef Miker, activist, the Konexe organization

The court’s verdict is, at a minimum, an expression of contempt for the Romani suffering in Vítkov. A person who intentionally wants to harm somebody else has to be isolated away from society. A person who hurts a child can no longer be considered a human being – he is an animal.

Michal Miko, director of the RomanoNet organization

Today’s verdict from the District Court in Šumperk to release the convicts is a great surprise. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that will return a normal life to the victim of their arson attack, Natálie Siváková, which happened in 2009. That attack was shocking, insane, and the victim will live with its consequences for the rest of her life. Two-thirds of a sentence being served by the perpetrators is far too little in relation to the victim. A verdict like this can be considered a microaggression, because the fear the victim is experiencing, happens daily – not just her fear of the next medical procedure, but of people in general. To live with the awareness that the people who harmed me are free is not easy. Civil society is quite concerned about the judicial authorities’ decision.

Karel Karika, chair, Czechoslovak Romani Union

It is alarming that two of the four convicted arsonists who committed multiple counts of attempted murder aganst Natálka’s family will be conditionally released. The District Court in Šumperk should have weighed the gravity of their crime and its impact on the victims, Natálka and her family suffer the consequences of that brutal attack to this day and it is essential to make sure the perpetrators are proportionately punished. The Czechoslovak Romani Union disagrees with the option of conditional release for these criminals. This case could establish a dangerous precedent for other racially-motivated violence and demonstrate that such crimes need not be properly punished. It is important to protect citizens’ rights and security and to arrange for just punishments for those who have committed such horrible crimes. Instead of conditional release, the court could have considered alternative options, such as performing a service for the community affected. The perpetrators could have corrected at least part of the damage they caused and it could have served as a warning to other potential perpetrators of racially motivated violence.