Although an audit of the Interior Ministry found no flaw when assessing the police raid in the Roma settlement in Moldava nad Bodvou, inspection of the same ministerial section is of different opinion. Ordered by the prosecutor, it launched a criminal prosecution, the public TV and Radio broadcaster RTVS informed on February 11.
The inspection sent a document to those harmed in the raid which reasons the launch of criminal prosecutions for four deeds: abuse of powers of public official, violation of privacy, misdemeanour of mayhem and crime of torture and other inhuman or cruel treatment.
The raid in Moldava nad Bodvou took place in mid June 2013 and involved 63 SWAT police entering the settlement to detain several men, for whom they had arrest warrants. None of those men were found, but violence ensued and dozens of other inhabitants were injured, none of whom were charged with a crime. The people of the settlement, as well as NGOs and the ombudswoman, have insisted that the raid was a violation of human rights. A special police investigation into the raid concluded that it was carried out in line with the law.
The Sme daily quotes the RTVS report as saying that the raid was, according to the investigator’s document, revenge for an attack on police officers from a few days earlier. He adds that the number of officers was inadequate, and they used inadequate means of coercion, allegedly destroying furnishings, and mobile phones of those who tried to record the raid. They also used tear gas, causing health problems to a one-year-old child. The following handling of the detained Roma at police station was also abusive, causing suffering and bullying them.
The TV station stressed that Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák, Police President Tibor Gašpar and Prime Minister Robert Fico have been defending the course of action of police officers – which caused a controversy with ombudswoman Jana Dubovcová.
“Let us wait for the results of the investigation,” ministry spokeswoman Lucia Kirinovičová said.
(Source: RTVS, Sme)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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