The violence ensued near a pizza restaurant in Košice. (source: SME/Judita Čermáková)
The investigation of the case of the brothers Martin, Maroš and Branislav Paška has ended as the regional prosecutor’s office advanced their file to the Košice I District Court. While the prosecutor has accused all three brothers of the crime of disorderly conduct, Maroš and Branislav also face charges of bodily harm, the Sme daily reported.
The nephews of the former Smer speaker of parliament, Pavol Paška, allegedly incited the incident in Košice on November 22, 2015, when shortly after 4 a.m. they assaulted a young woman, Zuzana, her boyfriend, Ján, Zuzana’s uncle František and his partner Edita. After the incident Ján said that he was protecting his girlfriend from Paška’s nephews' harassment.
Expert testimony shows that Zuzana‘s injury was extremely serious, requiring eight weeks sick leave, informed Milan Filičko, spokesman of the regional prosecutor’s office.
The Police closed the investigation in early-May, however, the prosecutor took over the file to examine again due to an incomplete implementation of evidence, in particular the expert reports on the victim‘s injuries, said Filička.
“The evidence from the trauma the girl received showed the need for a neurological testimony which the prosecutor will use to decide on the next step,” said Filička, as quoted by Sme.
All three men have denied guilt. While Maroš and Branislav have argued that an unknown man attacked Branislav and they tried to help him, Martin has said that a woman he did not know spoke to him that night and after talking with her, a man assaulted him from behind. On the contrary, Zuzana has explained that she was only responding to the improper suggestions made by the accused. Police officers did not comment on the incident and the street CCTV camera recording showed that the three men continued their attack even after Ján capitulated, Sme wrote.
The incident has affected the men’s careers. After the media broke the story, Martin Paška stated that he had decided to resign from his post and leave the BPMK, Maroš Paška lost his job as a police officer and Branislav Paška fell from his leading position at the University Hospital of L. Pasteur in Košice and is now just an ordinary employee.
The victims of the attack are being represented before the court by former MP Daniel Lipšic and the Paška brothers by Sergej Romža, chief of the Department of Criminal Law at the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice. Branislav and Maroš Paška may face the risk of a custodial sentence of two to five years and Martin Paška six months to three years, added Filičko, as cited by Sme.
