Attack against Roma women in Szigetvár

Alert DateJanuary 22, 2008 Country: Hungary Address: Szigetvár General Type: Racist violence, Discrimination Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-roma/zinghanophobia, Nationalism
Groups affected / Interested in: Roma & Travelers Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Daily life Hate speech/Racist Discourse Medium: Public Discourse
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin Hungarian
Victims Gender Female
Victims Age 18-25, 36-45
Victims Number 2
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Hungarian
Perpetrator Gender Male
Perpetrator Age 18-25
Perpetrators Number 5
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

On 22 January 2008, five men attacked two Roma women in Szigetvár.

During the investigation done by the police some of the perpetrators initially revealed that the attack was due to the Roma origin of the victims, but later retracted their confessions. The court of second instance ruled that a racial motivation could be substantiated based on the circumstances of the crime: on racist statements they had made in public, on the fact that personal items with totalitarian symbols had been found at some of the perpetrators’ homes, and one of the perpetrators had an anti-Roma poem tattooed on him. According to the decision of the court, three of the perpetrators will serve a sentence between 2 and 3 years, and the sentence of the other two has been suspended. [1]

[1] 'Etnikai bűncselekményért ítélték el a szigetvári bántalmazókat' ['Perpetrators in Szigetvár assault charged with ethnically motivated crime']', Népszabadság, 10.04.2009, availible at: 

http://www.nol.hu/belfold/etnikai_buncselekmenyert_iteltek_el_a_szigetvari_bantalmazokat (Date of access: 19.02.2012)