USURY among the Roma community has become an immense problem, reads a report
submitted to the cabinet that is scheduled to discuss the issue.
According to the analysis the unemployed are the most frequent offenders, targeting victims who are also out of work, said the daily SME.
The usurers often abuse the situation when Roma families are in urgent need of money, for example in case of a wedding or burial or when they face the threat of being cut off from electricity or water supplies because of mounting debts.
"Tens of millions of crowns, which flow to the social system
ends in the hands of individuals," says co-author of the analysis Peter Mikuš.
However, the police complain that the victims often fail to contact the police, fearing the revenge of the usurers.
Police statistics claim that since 1993 loan sharks have corrupted Sk12 million. However, experts say that it is not even a tenth of the real damage usury has caused.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
