Internal Affairs Inspectorate initiates criminal proceedings in case of police attack on children

In response to media reports of a physical assault by police officers on Roma children at a school in the village of Stráne pod Tatrami (Presov region), the Internal Affairs Inspectorate (UIS) has initiated criminal proceedings for the crime of abuse of power by a public official, announced Michal Sovič, spokesperson for the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Presov.

"Regarding the media-reported case of the physical assault by police officers on pupils at Stráne pod Tatrami Primary School, an investigator from the Internal Affairs Inspectorate in Kosice initiated criminal proceedings on Monday for the crime of abuse of power by a public official," said the spokesperson. The prosecutor from the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Presov will oversee the investigation.

The case was brought to public attention by MP Peter Pollak ('Slovakia'-za ludi-KU) via a video posted on social media last week. In the video, children aged 11-13 claimed they had been slapped by an officer, with one child even reporting being kicked in the leg.

Source: TASR