Romani arson victims in Czech Republic may return to their targeted home
The family of Milan Demeter and Eva Douchová is likely to return home to Býchory soon, where they own an apartment in a building that was once municipal property. “We’ll return for a few days, try living there and see how it goes,” Douchová told news server Romea.cz. Her apartment was attacked in the early morning hours of Monday by four assailants who threw a flaming torch through her living room window while shouting racist slogans.
“The police say we mustn’t be afraid, even though the defendants have been released from custody,” said Milan Demeter. Police intend to increase the number of patrols in front of the building where the family resides for up to 60 days. “Like the police officers, I am now inclined to believe those guys won’t do it again. They were quickly apprehended and await trial now. They’ve done enough to bring shame on themselves in the village. We spoke with several of our neighbors, and they are standing by us. We also want to put a surveillance camera on the building,” Milan Demeter said.
Eva Douchová is curious whether the parents of the defendants will ever come apologize to them. “If my children were to do such a thing, I would definitely apologize,” she said.
Some media reports have broadcast remarks from residents of Býchory minimizing the attack. These residents believe the assailants only committed the crime because they were drunk and that they are otherwise decent people.
Demeter responded indignantly to such suggestions: “That’s nonsense. Even drunk I would never throw a flaming torch or a Molotov cocktail through somebody’s window. I might fight with someone one on one, but I would definitely never do something like that.”
News server Romea.cz has determined it was pure chance that the attack did not have more serious repercussions. Had the assailants thrown the torch through the next window, the children sleeping in that room could have burned to death. The friend who was visiting the family was only able to put the torch out in time because he was still up watching television. The friend claims the perpetrators aimed directly at the building where Demeter and Douchová live even though Romani people live next door as well. “[Our neighbors] had their blinds drawn,” Demeter said.
Non-governmental organizations in the Czech Republic say they have around 10 cases on file of Molotov cocktail attacks on Romani homes and similar cases of violence which police have either never investigated or have postponed investigating.
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