Slovak Interior Ministry Inspectorate begins prosecution of officer who assaulted Romani children

News server SME.sk reports that the Inspection Authority of the Slovak Interior Ministry has initiated a criminal prosecution of the case of the attack allegedly committed by a police officer on children from a Romani settlement in Krompachy; the intervening officer has not yet been indicted. “The detective initiated criminal prosecution on suspicion of the commission of felony abuse of the powers of a public official,” Petra Friese of the ministry’s press department was quoted as saying by the news server.

Because the investigation is ongoing, no further information can be provided, according to the spokesperson. SME.sk reports that abuse of power, according to the Slovak Criminal Code, is committed when officials exceed what they are authorized to do and do so with the intention of causing another harm.

If convicted, the officer faces between two and five years in prison. In one of the Romani settlements in Krompachy, which was under quarantine at the time, the officer is said to have used a truncheon to beat five young children on Monday, 27 April.

According to the children’s testimony, he is even said to have threatened to shoot them. The reason was said to have been that the children were collecting wood and playing outside the quarantine zone.

Criminal reports about the case were filed by MEP Peter Pollák and the Slovak Government Plenipotentiary for Romani Community Affairs, Andrea Bučková. Thorough investigation of the incident was then called for by Police President Milan Lučanský and Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová.