HEDVIGA Malinová, a university student who was allegedly attacked last month by two Slovak extremists for speaking Hungarian on her way to university in Nitra, has submitted an appeal against the decision of the Nitra district police to halt their investigation into the case.
The appeal was also delivered to the District Prosecutor's Office in Nitra. "The complaint will be examined by the appropriate prosecutor," said Prosecution Office spokesman Jaroslav Maček. According to the Hospodárske Noviny daily, Maček expects a decision on the appeal within two weeks.
The appeal, which is 29 pages long, was first delivered to the district police headquarters in Nitra by fax, and only later to the local prosecutor's office.
The alleged attack took place at 08:00 on August 25, when the 23-year-old student was on her way to take an exam at the University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra. Police dropped the case after two weeks, having found that the assault did not take place as Malinová described it.
The student insists, however, that the attack did take place.
The alleged incident inflamed feelings in Budapest, and along with incidents of hooliganism in both Slovakia and Hungary was seen as evidence of rising ethnic tensions between the neighbouring countries.
To avoid further politicizing the issue, Malinová's first lawyer, Gábor Gál of the opposition Hungarian Coalition Party, decided to stop representing her, handing her case over to attorney Roman Kvasnica.
Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák also promised to make no further statements on the case.
- Martina Jurinová
