Infamous sentence absolving police officers of torturing Roma boys

A few days ago the Košice District Court (Sovakia) acquitted ten police officers - nine men and one woman, who disgustingly abused six boys between the ages of 11 and 15 in a police station. Judgement was given last week but the incidents took place in 2009.

When we learned of this disgrace we immediately protested, publically denouncing the acts that took place in Košice police station in Eastern Slovakia. Nine individuals, nine beasts who unworthily wear a police uniform and belong to the security services of their own country, locked six Roma boys in a police station room and committed all sorts of outrage.

Through frightening shouts and terrible threats they forced them to hit each other. Then they made them undress and kiss each other whilst aggressive dogs threateningly barked at them. Some children were even bitten by the dogs. In the trial it came out that one police official held a gun to one of the boys’ head and asked him if he wanted to be shot, something that would happen if he didn’t lick his boots.

We found out all of this because another police officer with a conscience recorded the scenes on his mobile phone and gave them to Tom Nicolson, Journalist of the Bratislava newspaper ‘SME’.

If you’re feeling brave, click this link and horrifyingly see how the defenceless little gypsies were forced to hit each other and miserably made to undress.

http://spectator.sme.sk/c/20056386/court-acquits-cops-in-roma-abuse-case.html

The Romani Union started a great campaign throughout Europe in 2009, spreading the video and calling upon the Slovak authorities to take the most forceful measures against those beasts. And the Slovak government heard our cry. The Interior Minister Robert Kalinak took action, dismissing and prosecuting the police officers.
But a few days ago – what a disgrace! The Senate of Košice II District Court gave judgement on an appeal made by the accused, declaring them innocent. Why? You’ll be amazed:

- Because according to this court of appeal, it is not clear that these deeds took place as the video images are not clear enough.

It’s just incredible. The Interior Minister of the time dismissed the unworthy police. The public prosecutor had no doubt of the vile abusers’ guilt, just as the boys’ lawyer Vanda Durbáková who works with the Centre for Civil and Human Rights and Rastislav Remeta, the public prosecuter who participated in the trial and immediately appealed against the verdict, have no doubt.

But Marcela Gálová, spokesperson for Košice District Court maintains that the video is not sufficient evidence that the incidents took place. And so these cruel 21st century Nazis will once again, dressed in their uniform, have the chance to torture other gypsies, as did their ancestors in the death camps.

So, we know how this all started but who knows how it will end..

Juan de Dios Ramírez-Heredia

Lawyer and Journalist

President of the Romani Union

Translated from Spanish into English by Victoria Price within the initative PerMondo. Sponsored by Mondo Agit offering translations from Spanish into English.