Domestic Cases: State Response to Violence and Hate Speech
11 August 2015
Bulgaria
Pernik Police Raid
The ERRC is supporting a victim of police violence during a raid that took place on his home in 2012 to ensure that the incident is properly investigated.
Italy
Florence Police Database
As part of the ERRC’s work on the State response violence and hate speech, and inspired by work done by colleagues in Hungary, we are increasingly challenging the ways in which police harass Roma instead of investing time and resources in protecting them, notably against hate crimes. In Florence, we are collaborating with a local lawyer to support a group of Romani women of Romanian nationality who allege that they have unlawfully had personal data about them processed by police. More information about the problem can be found here (in Italian).
La Continassa
An anti-Roma pogrom took place in Turin on 15 December 2011. The ERRC is supporting the victims of this racist violence to enable them to participate in the criminal proceedings against the perpetrators. In July 2015, the criminal court convicted the accused of hate crimes.
Via Santa Maria del Riposo
On 11-12 March 2014, Roma in Naples living on a settlement in via Santa Maria del Riposo were victims of physical attacks, apparently to force them to move. At least one person was injured and property was destroyed, and the Roma who were living in the settlement fled. The police did not intervene to stop the attack. The ERRC is supporting the victims to pursue a criminal complaint.
Macedonia
Topana
During a police raid in a Romani settlement in Skopje, in the eve of a big Roma holiday in May 2013, the police randomly used excessive force against by-passers and locals, inflicting injuries on several people. The ERRC is supporting one of the victims of this police brutality to enable him to take legal proceedings against the authorities.
Police brutality against Roma minors
In May 2014, while going to the local shop to buy groceries, two Romani teenagers were stopped and detained by the special “Alfa” urban street crime unit under suspicion of having committed a criminal offence. During the arrest, they were physically assaulted by several police officers. The ERRC, together with the locally based partner NGO, is assisting the victims and their parents in the criminal proceedings in demanding accountability and prosecution of the police officers involved.
Serbia
Novi Sad police brutality
A fifteen year-old Romani boy was badly beaten by the police during a fair on 12 July 2011 and taken into custody where the police tried to extort a confession from him. The ERRC is providing support to the victim and his family to bring legal proceedings against the police officers who failed to investigate the matter properly.
Bački Petrovac police brutality
In November 2012 two Romani brothers, who have been regularly harassed by the local police, were taken to the police station where were beaten after being suspected of theft. The younger brother, who was a minor at the time, had a burst hernia and was taken for an emergency operation. The ERRC is helping these brothers to bring legal proceedings against the responsible police officers.
Zemun Polje
During a child's birthday celebration in July 2014, nine police officers entered a Roma family’s apartment and started to randomly beat people who were inside, based on a complaint about loud music. The incident took place in a block of social housing flats. It appears that the police cut the power before going in with electric torches; several of the family members are visually impaired. Members of the family were taken into custody and kept in a sobering-up cell. The ERRC is supporting the Romani family in taking legal proceedings against police officers.
Slovakia
Moldava nad Bodvou Raid
In June 2013, a police raid took place in Moldava nad Bodvou involving violent behaviour and search of houses and flats without showing any warrants issued by authorities. The ERRC is supporting the victims to challenge this police violence which appears to be racially motivated.
Moldava nad Bodvou Detention
A young Roma man with diagnosed intellectual disability was kept in custody after the Moldava raid contrary to valid criminal procedural law. The ERRC is supporting him in his damages claim against the state.
Hurbanovo Killings
An off-duty police officer opened fire on a Roma family, killing some of them, in May 2012. The ERRC is supporting the next of kin in challenging the particularly light sentence that the murderer was given (9 years and medical treatment) and the failure to take into account the racist motive.
Kezmarok District Raids
In August and October 2012, there was a series of police raids in three villages in Kezmarok district: Strane pof Tatrami, Huncovce and Podhorany. Police entered houses in the settlements and searched them without providing warrants, whilst physically and verbally abusing people including elderly people and people with disabilities. The ERRC is supporting the victims of police violence in securing an effective investigation.
Turkey
Iznik Pogrom
Following a pogrom which took place in 2014 in the city of Iznik, the ERRC has been supporting a local NGO to participate in the criminal proceedings as a civil party and ensure that the issue of racial motivation is properly considered by the court.
