European Court of Human Rights rules against Hungary over police abuse of Roma family
The Strasbourg-based human-rights court has ruled that Hungarian police abused a Roma family almost two years ago, human rights watchdog TASZ told MTI on Tuesday.Police turned up to a private house of a Roma family holding a christening feast on the evening of Sept. 4, 2010 in the northeast Hungarian village of Tiszaluc, after complaints of loud music. The family complied with the demand to turn down the volume, yet several police officers returned later and assaulted the family with truncheons and used tear gas, TASZ said.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled against Hungary in the judgment published on Tuesday, concluding that the Hungarian state had violated the ban on degrading treatment in connection with the police action.
According to the judgment, a woman “fell over, and then six or seven male officers dragged her on the ground to, and banged her against, the police car. While being dragged, her breasts became exposed, since her pullover was torn. She suffered bruises on her neck and her eyes were burning badly.”
TASZ said the Roma involved in the incident filed a criminal report against police officers but it was rejected. Later on, TASZ took up their case and filed another criminal report. It was also turned down and the investigation was discontinued.
In the meantime, criminal proceedings were conducted against the woman and other attendees in the feast on charges of obstructing justice. The woman was found guilty and received a one year’s suspended prison sentence. Her appeal is pending.
The bill on indictment bore the signature of the same person who decided to discontinue investigation, TASZ said.
The police told MTI that it would provide information about the affair later.
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