Good evening. Here is the Monday, January 15 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Investigation into tragic Tepláreň shooting is closed
People in Bratislava march on October 14, 2022, to condemn the murder of two LGBT+ people outside the Tepláreň gay bar on October 12. (source: TASR - Dano Veselský)
The investigation into the Tepláreň gay bar attack in Bratislava from October 2022 confirmed that a secondary-school student was the perpetrator. Special Prosecutor Daniel Lipšic stated that prosecution was terminated due to the student's suicide committed after the attack.
The terrorist attack resulted in two lives lost from the LGBT+ community, Juraj Vankulič a Matúš Horváth, and injuries to waitress Radka Trokšiarová.
Describing the act as exceptionally cold-blooded, Lipšic added the primary target was then-prime minister Eduard Heger (Demokrati). The attacker, who acted as a lone wolf, believed in the potential change of the social order after Heger's killing.
"The target [Heger] didn't come, I was left with plan B [gay bar]," Lipšic quoted from the attacker's diary entry.
As it turns out, the attacker called the IPčko mental health helpline on October 10, 2022, which was two days before the murders. He said: "I have to die, but I'm very afraid." But people from the helpline couldn't reach the attacker, they didn't know his identity.
The student planned the attack for a longer period of time, including writing his own manifesto.
Related: On Monday, Jozef B. was fined €700 by the Specialised Criminal Court for approving the attack outside Tepláreň in Bratislava. The decision is not final, pending an appeal by the prosecutor. The man confessed his guilt during the trial, and the charge was changed from terrorism-related offences to approval of a criminal act. (TASR)
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website:
Opinion: Slovakia witnesses widespread protests against government moves led by PM and Smer leader Robert Fico, challenging his plans, including the attempted abolition of the Special Prosecutor's Office.
Politics: Congressional delegation of the US discussed Slovakia's EU and NATO commitment and economic cooperation with PM Robert Fico.
Premier:Politico includes PM Fico in Davos 'bad boys' club.
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FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY
Outdoor soak in hot water in sub-zero temperatures
Kalameny thermal spring, Liptov region. (source: Romana Vicianová)
In the Liptov region's , brave bathers defy freezing temperatures to enjoy the natural pool, which attracts visitors year-round, regardless of weather conditions. The lake, at a pleasant 33 degrees Celsius, offers therapeutic benefits akin to neighbouring spas.
EVENT: Guided tour on Tuesday
What was the 1960s like in Bratislava?
60s in Bratisava (source: web Citylife)
In the sixties, life in Bratislava was shaped by the relaxation of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, allowing responses to events beyond the Soviet sphere. Curator Marta Janovíčková will tell Bratislava City Museum visitors more during her lecture on Tuesday at 17:30. Admission: €2-4.
In other news:
SNS party leader and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Andrej Danko, involved in a Thursday car accident in Bratislava-Dúbravka, defended himself last weekend. Danko asserted on TV that he had blown into the breathalyzer with a negative result, vehemently denying accusations of intoxication. He also claimed that he had escaped from the scene because of an alleged injury. As it has turned out, he took the test 15 hours after he hit a traffic signal pole. The prosecutor is investigating the accident.
President Zuzana Čaputová honoured the 33 personalities that received state awards from her on Sunday, including skier Petra Vlhová, film director Peter Bebjak and Polish dissident Adam Michnik.
Convicted far-right politician Marian Kotleba of the ĽSNS party wants to run for president. He has two weeks to collect at least 15,000 signatures. Kotleba can join the race after the Specialised Criminal Court erased his conviction from 2022 for good behaviour. Then, the court found him guilty of showing sympathy for neo-Nazi ideology. (Aktuality)
On Monday, Speaker Peter Pellegrini (Hlas) called the election of two candidates for the position of judge of the Constitutional Court. The vote in the house should take place in April. The speaker was obliged to call the election immediately after Judge Jana Laššáková stepped down at the end of September, but he didn't.
A frozen lake in Bratislava-Vajnory on January 16, 2024. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR TUESDAY
Tomorrow's weather promises to be partly to mostly cloudy, occasionally very cloudy, especially in the northwest. Isolated snow showers, particularly in the north. The highest daytime temperature ranging from -1 °C to 4 °C. In the north of Slovakia, the meteorological office (SHMÚ) issued a first-degree warning due to snowdrifts, be cautious.
JANUARY 16 NAME'S DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Kristína.
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