Řápková rejects overwhelming government criticism, Agency stands its ground

Mayor of Chomutov Ivana Řápková (ODS) says the report on excluded localities in Chomutov approved by the Czech Government on Monday is based on unsubstantiated information and does not reflect the reality of the situation. The town has commissioned a sociologist to perform a separate analysis of the same issue, his findings confirm that the town’s practices are correct, and the town hall will therefore continue them, Řápková told journalists Tuesday. However, according to the authors of the report commissioned by Czech Human Rights and Minorities Minister Kocáb, the situation in Chomutov would look very different if Řápková’s claims were true.

“The conclusions of the office of renowned sociologist Daniel Hanzl show that the town should continue the trend it has begun in its practices toward inadaptable citizens. In addition to social programs, collections and other repressive measures should be administered,” Řápková said, adding that the town’s approach is effective as prostitution has fallen by 80 % and more than CZK 1.5 million in outstanding debts to the town have been collected.

“That is very surprising, because our conclusions from the field are completely the opposite,” Martin Šimáček, Director of the Government Agency for Social Inclusion in Roma Localities, which elaborated the government report for Kocáb, told ČTK. “If that were all true, we believe the situation in Chomutov would be completely different.”

Šimáček says the approach of the Chomutov town hall towards people in the excluded localities is not balanced, but is solely repressive. “Even though more people are trying harder than ever before to pay their debts, many of them have found themselves stuck in a deep social trap,” he believes.

According to Šimáček, the reason these people are stuck is the exceptionally high fees paid to their collections agents. “On the contrary, they are being forced into a situation in which they cannot pay their rent and other usual expenses, and their social exclusion has intensified,” he says.

The mayor said those elaborating the report for Kocáb never asked the town hall to comment on it or to provide background material for it. “I did not learn of this report until it was submitted to the cabinet for commentary. I called on the heads of the town hall trade unions to give their opinion of it. They have formulated their observations into 39 points explaining how the report is not based on the truth. I then made sure the town hall’s standpoint became part of the report,” she said.

The government report says the approach of the Chomutov town hall toward those who owe back rent serves to intensify their indebtedness. As a result of the misguidedly performed privatization of the rental stock of the town, the report says 90 % of the back rent owed is actually irrecoverable. Households are threatened by the “devastating impact” of organized crime run by four local clans who have divided up the territory in the town, and many people are at risk of prostitution.

According to the report, the Chomutov town hall does not make sufficient use of the option of paying those in need the welfare to which they are entitled, in particular contributions towards housing and subsistence. The report says Chomutov also essentially does not have enough field social workers to help the Roma. Kocáb will include the conclusions of the report on the excluded localities in Chomutov in the strategy he is designing for the fight against social exclusion.

Řápková says Kocáb is correct to say the town does not have enough field social workers. “We have roughly 30 social workers in the field, which is a small number. However, the town must pay their wages in large part from its own resources. Given the current crisis, this is a problem, there is no money. The state should contribute. We are also asking for the creation of a special police team focused on drug gangs to get rid of pervitin production in the town and focus on loan sharking”, she said.

The mayor considers the approval of the report on the excluded localities to be a continuation of the ongoing battle between the state and the town. “No one from the government, including Mr Kocáb, has ever been to take a look at the problematic localities of Chomutov. They haven’t asked us about anything – they just criticize us and say we do everything badly. Other towns and many mayors have supported us in our efforts. However, we do not want to fight the government, they should be working with us. I assume we have a shared interest in the satisfaction of the decent inhabitants of the town,” she said.

Řápková says drugs, gambling, and high indebtedness contribute to the onerous situation of people in the excluded localities. “This is not the fault of the evil town hall, as Mr Kocáb is doing his best to present,” she said.