Svitavy, Czech Republic: Man threatens young Romani family with an axe and a firearm, allegedly calling them "black monkeys", but police say there is no proof of racial motivation yet
A young Romani family from Svitavy, Czech Republic has become the victim of an attack by an older man who allegedly shouted death threats and racist abuse at them. He is also alleged to have aimed a firearm that was not loaded at the male partner of a young Romani woman and to have pulled the trigger.
The incident transpired on Friday, 3 May around 18:00 when the young Romani woman and her boyfriend parked their car outside their relatives’ home. Police have confirmed to news server Romea.cz that they are investigating the case but say there is no proof the attack was racially motivated.
“I can confirm the incident transpired on 3 May 2024 around 18:00 in Svitavy. We are investigating,” police spokesperson Markéta Janovská told news server Romea.cz.
“As we were driving back from the store, we drove down the street where my aunt lives, and she’d just gotten into her own car with her kids. We parked and chatted with her for a moment,” said the young Romani woman, whose identity is known to Romea.cz and who has asked to remain anonymous.
“At that moment an older gentleman drove up and became enraged because he couldn’t drive past. My boyfriend moved the car and made room for him, but the man waved his fist at us and began to shout threats. He stopped his car, got out, and shouted ‘Gypsies, you black monkeys, I’m going to kill you’,” the young Romani woman recalled with horror.
According to her, the situation escalated fast. The man, who was unknown to the Romani family, allegedly first pulled a black axe out of his car and waved it in their direction.
Next, he took a firearm out and aimed it directly at the woman’s partner. “He clicked the gun as if loading it, and fortunately he apparently did not have any bullets in it. We were in shock,” the young Romani woman related to Romea.cz.
It is not clear what kind of firearm was involved, whether an actual gun or an air or gas-propelled one. An eyewitness was on the scene who saw the entire incident and allegedly also filmed it.
It was the eyewitness who called the police. Yesterday, police communicated to the man allegedly involved that he is suspected of a felony.
“We have not proved a racial subtext, but yesterday, 6 May 2024, a 78-year-old man was informed he is suspected of felony reckless endangerment under paragraph 2, which means with a weapon, as during the incident the accused is said to have manipulated a short air rifle,” the police spokesperson said. The young Romani woman who was attacked has criticized the fact that the assailant was released after being interrogated by police.
“That person poses a danger to those around him. The police have offered us protection, but they said it meant we would have to give up our mobile telephones and stay home,” she told Romea.cz.
“I’m concerned for my safety and that of my child,” the young Romani woman said. On Sunday afternoon, the girl’s father told news server Romea.cz that: “My daughter can’t even speak about this yet, she immediately starts weeping, she’s still in shock.”
The police spokesperson responded to the young Romani woman’s reproach as follows: “Yes, the people who were attacked said they are afraid, and that is why they were offered short-term protection under regulation section 50 of Act no. 273/2008, Coll., on the Police of the Czech Republic. Police officers did explain to both injured parties the possible types of short-term protection, instructing and familiarizing both of them with the conditions. Be that as it may, neither injured party requested short-term protection, which they confirmed by signing that they did not request it. With regard to the injured parties giving up their mobile telephones, apparently they misinterpreted those instructions – under one type of protection, the injured parties who take advantage of such protection should not communicate with anybody else.”
Marián Dancso, a volunteer civil society member of the Czech Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs, offered to aid the family and has consulted the entire matter with Lucie Fuková, the Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs. “Immediately after this was made public, I contacted the family concerned and I verified that the police had taken steps to investigate. I have consulted Lucie Fuková about all of this. The most recent information is that the case is being supervised by the prosecutor and evidence is being gathered. I let the family know they can contact me at any time and we are in touch,” Dancso told news server Romea.cz.
