Thursday, March 10, 2011

CZECH REPUBLIC

Czech teenager, mother jailed for arson attack on Roma family

Mar 8, 2011, 13:25 GMT

Prague - A Czech court on Tuesday sentenced a teenager and his mother to prison terms for an arson attack on Roma neighbours a year earlier.

The young man was sentenced to four years in prison, while his mother - who had looked on without intervening as her son prepared a Molotov cocktail - was ordered jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

The teenager threw the petrol bomb into his neighbour's home in the Czech city of Ostrava in March 2010.

Five children and six adults were in the wooden house when the fire broke out, but a tragedy was averted thanks to the quick reaction of a 13-year-old girl.

Tuesday's ruling overtuned a lower court decision that had given the young man and his mother suspended sentences of three years and 18 months, respectively.

The exact age of the teenager cannot be revealed under privacy laws, a court spokesperson said Tuesday.

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