Mojmírovce
Drunk name day celebrant crashes into police car
Police in Mojmírovce (Nitra region) were standing in front of their local police department when they witnessed a curious accident on March 19. As the uniformed police stood guard by the building, a drunken 50 year-old cyclist rode into a parked police car in front of them.
Police interrogated the man and discovered that he was named Jozef; March 19 is the Jozef 'name day' in Slovakia, on which all people named Jozef celebrate, many by getting drunk. Jozef had been enjoying his name day that evening and had evidently drunk with many guests. He will need one month to recover from the wounds he incurred in the crash.
Bratislava
Casting for Uprising brings 1,700 potential actors
Casting for the US film Uprising was held in Bratislava March 17. Some 1,700 people showed up hoping for roles as extras in the film starring Donald Sutherland and David Schwimmer (best known as Ross from the US sitcom Friends).
Shooting in Slovakia for the film will take place at Bratislava's Koliba studios and in a replica Jewish ghetto in the city centre. There are 300 roles available for 'Jewish residents of Warsaw', and 200 roles for 'German soldiers'. Extras will be paid 800 Slovak crowns (17$) per day.
The Slovak army will also be contributing hundreds of soldiers for the cast.
Bratislava
Slovak posing as Congolese diplomat exposed
A Bratislava Regional Court investigator charged 32 year-old Slavomír M. of Bratislava with fraud and intentional use of a fake diplomatic passport, said police spokeswoman Magda Krasulová. The passport Slavomír M. was caught with asserted that he was a Congolese diplomat from Zaire.
Slavomír M. allegedly used the passport in Slovakia, Romania and in Stuttgart, Germany, where he visited a Mercedes Benz dealership. He reportedly bought a car from the dealership at the 15% discount diplomats receive. The savings were 350,000 Slovak crowns ($7,200).
Nitra
Paedophile sentenced to 14 and a half years
A 32 year-old paedophile from Nitrianska Blatnica, Peter F., was sentenced to 14 years and 6 months in prison for the May 2000 murder of a five year-old boy in the village of Radošiná near Nitra. The sentence was handed down by the Nitra District Court on March 21.
Peter F. tempted his victim outside the village to a nearby field where he stripped the boy, tied him up, then masturbated in front of him. After the boy said he would tell his parents about the incident, Peter F. stabbed him nine times in the chest and stomach.
Peter F. will be sent for treatment in a sanatorium for violent offenders with sexual disorders.
Nitra
Mobile phone stolen while owner telephones
A 20 year-old man from Čaradnice, a village near Nitra, was robbed of his mobile phone in the street on March 20 shortly after midnight. As he was walking down the street speaking on his mobile, a car stopped near him and the driver demanded he turn over the mobile phone immediately.
The 20 year-old refused, so the phone robber hit him while still sitting in his car. He then managed to take the victim's telephone and drive away. Police said they had identified and arrested the thief, a 28 year-old man from the neighbouring Tekovské Nemce village.
Nová Dubnica
Youth dies after skateboard dispute with mom
A 12 year-old boy died in hospital March 16 from injuries he sustained after jumping from a seventh story window in the town of Ilava, near Nova Dubnica.
The boy had reportedly argued with his mother over whether he would get a new skateboard, then ran from his family's first floor flat to the seventh floor and jumped out a window in full view of children playing below. Doctors tried to save the boy's life for two and a half hours.
Compiled by Martina Pisárová and Chris Togneri from SITA, TASR and press reports
