Teacher accused and condemned for slander

Alert DateMay 21, 2010 Country: Portugal Address: Santarém, Portugal General Type: Racist discourse Racism and discrimination phenomena: Afrophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Ethnic minorities Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Education
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin N/A
Victims Gender Male
Victims Age <17
Victims Number 1
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin N/A
Perpetrator Gender Male
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number 1
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

On May 2010, a teacher was accused and condemned to pay a fine of one thousand Euros for the practice of slander. The case involved a music teacher in an elementary school in the Santarém area who said « you, nigger, come in » to a 12 years-old student who had asked permission to enter the classroom. In the sentence hearing, the judge in charge of the case said that this was a one-off incident that didn’t amount to a case of racism or xenophobia. Notwithstanding, the judge added that the teacher “acted with the intention to offend the image and the good name of the student.” This case had already been received official as well as public attention as the Comissão para a Igualdade e Contra a Discriminação Racial [Comission for Equality and against Racial Discrimination], the Portuguese Equality Body, had already condemned the teacher for racial discrimination to pay a fine equivalent to the minimum salary (around 500 Euros) in 2009.

Source:
Jornal Público, 22.04.2010, http://www.publico.pt/Educação/professor-condenado-a-multa-por-chamar-preto-a-aluno_1438441
Jornal Público, 22.05.2010, http://www.publico.pt/Sociedade/caso-de-alegada-discriminacao-racial-tem-sentenca-na-sextafeira_1433534