On the night of June 23-24, an armed group of armed men attacked the Roma camp in a forest area on the outskirts of Lviv. As a result of the assault, a 24-year old resident of the Transcarpathian region died, another four – injured. Among them – a 10-year-old boy. Suspects detained and notified of being suspected. Details – in reactions from DUMKA.
According to the report of the head Department of the National Police in the Lviv region, seven people involved in the felony were arrested at the crime scene.
Later, on the National Police web-page it was added, that the police detained all those who were involved in the attack on the Roma settlement in Lviv. Criminal proceedings were opened on the fact of 24-year-old man death. The case is qualified as a deliberate killing by a group of people.
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said that the entire Roma camp is now under the protection of law-enforcers, and its inhabitants are witnesses on this case. Also, Sadovy promised to provide shelter to the victims of attack and urged everyone to remain human beings. As it appeared, the vast majority of attackers are young men 17-18 years old. The deceased was stabbed by a group. For an attempt to protect her 10-year-old child mother was cut as well.
People’s deputy and ex-journalist Sergei Leshchenko is convinced that the murder was caused by the impunity of previous attacks on the Roma people. According to MP, a wave of violence can be stopped by the inevitability of punishment for all criminals, from pickpockets to high-ranked corrupt officials. Okay, Mr. Sergiy, we’re also waiting for your actions and initiatives.
Journalist and publicist Larysa Voloshyna stressed, that there can be nothing more disgusting, than people who claim that they enjoy evil but as soon as it is time to answer for committed crimes, they start to shed tears and pretend to be innocent victims. As it was claimed by Voloshina, the Soviet-style responsibility is much dearer than Ukrainian grandeur.
Olga Zhmurko, director of the Roma Program Initiative by International Renaissance Foundation, told that slaughtered person’s name was David and he came from a village outside of Mukachevo. During the assault, there were 14 people, including children present in the settlement. Moreover, few people knew about the settlement, people came here for seasonal work from different villages of Transcarpathia: To dig meal, sort rubbish and live well out of sight.
Now, according to Olga Zhmurko, the line was crossed: in 2018, right-wing radical groups kill Roma man, whereas couch experts and other commentators harass victims.
Zhmurko expressed her condolences to the family of deceased and the inhabitants of the settlement, as well to herself and to all of us, because we’re turning the history to the side when we will have to learn the tragic lessons of humanity on our own mistakes.
Politechnologist Oleg Medvedev is convinced that despite all of his experience in communication with Roma people, crime does not have nationality, and much more dangerous moments in author’s life were tied to ethnic Ukrainians or Russians. Politechnologist is convinced hatred for the Roma people planed by anti-Ukrainian forces, and attacks on Roma are attacks on Ukraine.
On the contrary, blogger Anton Hodza stressed that everyone should bear his own responsibility for his own deeds, without transferring his guilt to the whole mass of people. Therefore blogger called for critical thinking, avoiding generalizations, looking at each case separately and not to bite the hand that feeds. Both right-wing and left-wing, as well as centrists, liberals and anarchists.
The human rights activist and volunteer Olga Reshetilova has published a huge post stressing that deeds and words of adults are subconsciously coined in child’s mind. Therefore, any call for violence can be immediately implemented by youth maximalism in practice. Furthermore, it is easy to manipulate and use it in someone’s interests.
Reactions were collected by Stepan the Goat
