Homophobic Attack on Gay-Friendly Bar within the Pride Parade Week in Ljubljana

Alert DateJune 25, 2009 Country: Slovenia Address: Hrenova 19, 1000 Ljubljana General Type: Racist violence, Racist discourse Racism and discrimination phenomena: Extremism - organised Racist Violence, Homophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Majority Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Daily life Hate speech/Racist Discourse Medium: Public Discourse
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin Slovenian
Victims Gender Male
Victims Age 26-35
Victims Number 1
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Slovenian
Perpetrator Gender Male
Perpetrator Age 18-25
Perpetrators Number 8
Extremist/Organised Group Violence Yes

On 25 June 2009 a group of about eight perpetrators dressed in black hoods, caps, and masks, with torches, stones and parts of asphalt in their hands went to the Open Café in Ljubljana which is known as gay-friendly. At that moment the bar was hosting a literature evening in the context of the Pride Parade. While attacking the bar, the three defendants were screaming “pedri ” [“faggots”]. During the attack a man standing outside the bar suffered several bodily injuries. One of the windows of the bar was broken and one of the torches was thrown into the bar. Three of about eight perpetrators were identified and prosecuted, while the others remain unidentified.

 

The District Criminal Court in Ljubljana found the three defendants guilty as accomplices to a crime of public incitement of hatred, violence or intolerance, in accordance with Article 297, paragraphs IV and I of the Criminal Code, in connection with Article 20 of the Criminal Code. Each defendant was sanctioned to 1 year and six months of imprisonment. The Higher Court Ljubljana deciding upon the appeals filed by the defendants, on 15 June 2011 confirmed the content ofthe first instance judgment. However, it considered the sentences too strict and lowered them to seven months imprisonment for two defendants and to five months for the third defendant. As the reasons justifying lowering of the sentences it stated additional mitigating circumstances, such as absence of prior criminal records, regret and apologies expressed by the defendants to the victims, termination of their cooperation with the football fan club Green Dragons (which is known to support homophobic attitudes), as well as the fact that their family and social lives are otherwise in order.

 

 

Source:

Flash report on the website of the European network of legal Experts in the field of non-discrimination http://www.non-discrimination.net/content/media/SI-28-Higher%20Court%20Decides%20on%20the%20Homophobic%20Crime%20Case.pdf

 

Article on Narobe Blog, LGBT blog in Slovenia: http://www.narobe.si/myblog/napadli-cafe-open

 

Source of the photo below: Narobe Blog (http://www.narobe.si/myblog/napadli-cafe-open)