Czech youth brutally assaulted for defending Romani girlfriend
Police officers are looking for the young perpetrators of a racially motivated assault that occurred on 19 August at the Plaňanská bus stop in Prague 10 and would like anyone who witnessed the incident to call 158. The young man who was targeted fell unconscious to the ground during the attack.
Emergency responders transported the victim to the hospital, where he has been in an artificial coma ever since. Jan Daněk, press spokesperson for the Prague Police, has informed the public of the incident through the force’s website.
Police officers believe the assault took place just after 19:00 on Počernická Street. The 15-year-old boy is said to have exited the bus together with his younger girlfriend.
One of the attackers allegedly remarked on the fact that the boy’s girlfriend was Romani and he defended her. "One of the young assailants then punched him in the face twice and he fell to the ground, struck his head on the concrete and lost consciousness. The perpetrators then left the scene heading toward the Malešický Park, and from their conversation they seem to have resided in the neighborhood. The girlfriend of the assaulted youth and another witness remained at the scene of the incident providing the injured boy with first aid and calling an ambulance. The youth was transported to hospital and has been in an artificial coma ever since," Daněk said.
Police say the juvenile who attacked the victim was between 17 and 19 years old, 170 – 175 cm tall, and had an athletic figure and short black hair. He was wearing a blue t-shirt, black shorts, and carring a black Adidas bag.
The assailant was said to look like an athlete and to have assumed a martial arts position during the attack. Detectives also believe he might have trained in martial arts and could have been coming from or going to practice.
Another juvenile with him was between 17 and 19 years old, 170 – 175 cm tall, and had short brown hair combed into a point in the front. He was wearing a grey sweatshirt and also carrying a gym bag.
"Detectives are investigating this case as one of suspected grievous bodily harm and rioting, for which the perpetrators would serve up to 10 years behind bars if convicted. Nevertheless, we are not ruling out changes in the legal qualification of the case with respect to the victim’s state of health," Daněk said.
