Serbian police trivialize arson attack committed by mob against a Romani family with a 10-month-old infant
On 3 May 2025 in the Serbian village of Tavnik, a mob of about 20 persons surrounded the home of a Romani family and set bales of hay on fire outside it while the adult family members and a 10-month-old infant took cover inside. The assailants physically attacked the family while shouting racist insults at them.
Despite the gravity of the situation, police did not protect the family and trivialized the direct violence. The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) has reported on the attack.
According to the Serbian Interior Ministry, the incident was reported at about 21:00 that same day and prosecutors started reviewing the case. The Romani Voice for Truth (Romski glas za pravdu) network of Romani lawyers said the assailants not only attacked the adults, but also the 10-month-old child.
During the attack the assailants shouted things like “Gypsy mothers” and “Go back to Turkey”. According to the lawyers, the incident is an aggravated hate crime.
The following day, the family sought aid at the police station, asking whether it was safe for them to return to their home. Despite the evident threat to the family’s lives, the officers instructed them to return.
The family’s legal representatives said that when they were filing their report on the incident at the police station, the officer on duty made the racist remark that “Roma need to learn how to socialize.” Moreover, the man who led the attack is already known in the community for previous racist incidents which were perpetrated with impunity.
The chair of the Roma Party, Srđan Šajn, has called on all parliamentary parties to condemn the attack and the passivity of the police. The ERRC and Romani Voice for Truth are demanding the full investigation and prosecution of the case as a hate crime, as well as the provision of immediate protection and support for the Romani family, including psychosocial aid and temporary alternative housing.
The ERRC is following the case and considering legal steps against both the perpetrators and the responsible institutions.
