Video that shocked public: Strong condemnations of attack on Romani boy, state expected to react urgently

Printcreen: instagam/vestisabac

A video which has been spreading on social networks since this morning has caused strong reactions from citizens and a wave of condemnations throughout Serbia. It shows a disturbing incident in which, according to the allegations published along with the video, the victim is a boy of Romani ethnicity. Many citizens demand an immediate response from the police and the prosecutor's office, as well as for those responsible to face prosecution.

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The comments on social networks are dominated by messages that violence against children must not be tolerated under any circumstances, while members of the public expects the competent authorities to determine all the circumstances of the event as soon as possible and bring those responsible to justice.

Leader of the Unija Romani Srbije party Milos Mihajlovic also reacted to this event, strongly condemning the attack on the boy and saying that such cases must be urgently and strongly sanctioned.

"Violence against a child is unacceptable, and it's especially worrying when there is suspicion that it is motivated by national or ethnic hatred. I expect the state to finally react decisively to the increasingly pronounced hate speech that has recently been increasingly present in the public spaces against the Romani. Such an atmosphere can have serious consequences and must not remain without reaction by the institutions," said Mihajlovic.

The attack was also condemned by the National Council of the Romani National Minority, whose general secretary Bajram Morina said that such events must not pass without a reaction from the competent institutions.

"We expect that the police and the prosecutor's office will urgently shed light on all the circumstances of this case and that the person responsible for the attack on the child will be adequately punished in line with the law. Society must clearly show that violence against children will not be tolerated," said Morina.

The National Association of Romani Journalists - NARON, also issued a strong condemnation. Its members said that the attack on the boy deeply disturbed the Romani community, as well as the entire society, and that they expect an immediate reaction from all competent institutions.

NARON stated that, if the competent authorities do not identify and process the responsible person as soon as possible, they will file a criminal complaint against the currently unknown perpetrator (NN), with a request to determine whether there are elements of a criminal act with elements of racial, national or ethnic hatred in this case.

Representatives of the Romani community assess that such incidents are not only an attack on one child, but also send a disturbing message to the entire community, which is why they insist on a swift, efficient and impartial reaction from the institutions.

The public expects the competent authorities to conduct a detailed investigation, establish all the facts and provide protection to the child who was at the center of this disturbing event.

Violence against children must not be justified. Every child has the right to grow up without fear and discrimination, and the state has an obligation to ensure their protection and to sanction any form of violence, in accordance with the law.

You can watch the video in a separate news story (in Serbian).

(Telegraf.rs/Aleksandar Nedeljkovic)