Another attack on Roma, once again the police say it is not about racism

The aftermath of a fire at a caravan in Kozolupy in the Beroun district, set by an anonymous perpetrator, is proving contentious. Those living nearby are unhappy that the police are investigating the incident only as a misdemeanor even though more than 20 people’s lives were at risk and they see the attack as having been targeted against the Roma residents in the neighborhood. The police, however, disagree.

The fire occurred on Saturday around 04:00, when an unknown perpetrator set fire to a flammable liquid around a caravan parked not far from a single-family home. "This was a targeted attack. There was a propane-butane canister in that caravan; if that had exploded, everything here would have caught fire," Jan Hauer, who lives in the house, told ČTK.

The police, however, do not agree. "There was no immediate danger, the fire was put out in time, I do not even know whether the entire caravan was burned," Central Bohemian Police spokesperson Soňa Budská told ČTK. A neighbor called the police and fire department and then is said to have put out the fire on his own. The police are investigating the case as a misdemeanor.

Markus Pape, spokesperson for the Committee for the Redress of the Roma Holocaust, is not satisfied with the police approach. "Almost 30 people’s lives were at risk, there is suspicion that the crime of posing a public danger was committed, it is not possible for the police to investigate this as a misdemeanor," Pape told ČTK, adding that the police were not thorough enough in their gathering of evidence. "This may lead the perpetrator to believe he did nothing illegal and he may try again. There have been such cases in the past; in Krnov, for example, neo-Nazos tried to set fire to a block of flats three times in a row," Pape said.

The police reject the assertion that they have committed any errors. "The approach to the investigation was standard and the investigation is still underway," Budská said.