Increase in homophobic violence and discourse in Slovenia
Following the first homophobic attack on Cafe Open (a gay-friendly cafe in Ljubljana) on 25 June 2009, several similar, however less serious incidents took place. The reasons for these incidents are related to the fact that three of the perpetrators who committed the June attack were identified, charges were pressed against them and they were put in pre-trial detention. On 10 March 2010 they were convicted for a crime of incitement to hatred, violence and intolerance and issued with a sanction of imprisonment of one year and six months. The incidents that accompanied the court process and the conviction were:
- On 22 November 2009, Cafe Open was again attacked at 4 a.m., when someone threw a granite cube into the window of the cafe and broke it.
- On 20 March 2010 a group of neonacis held a protest in front of the District Court in Ljubljana, protesting against the harsh sentence issued to the perpetrators of the homophobic attack.
- In the week of 26 July 2010, Cafe Open was attacked three times, this time by throwing a molotov torch into the wall of the cafe. In addition, the walls of the cafe were covered with homophobic graffiti (stating 'death to fags!', 'a bump is a bump, fag!').
- In the same time the same graffiti appeared on the walls of the house of the judge who presided over the criminal procedure against the three perpetrators of the June 2009 attack and who found the perpetrators guilty of a crime of incitement to hatred, violence and intolerance and issued each perpetrator a sanction of imprisonment of one year and six months.
Sources: Articles in and photos in Revija Narobe (www.narobe.si)
- http://www.narobe.si/myblog/v-ozadju-protesta-neonacisti
