Repeated petty thefts accounted for a significant proportion of those accused of and charged with theft in the first two months of 2026, Prosecutor-General Maros Žilinka posted on social media on Tuesday.
"In January 2026, a total of 605 people were accused of the criminal offence of theft. Of these, 322 were accused of so-called 'Horalka' petty thefts [with reference to popular wafer bar in Slovakia - ed. note], which represent 53 percent. A total of 481 people were charged with theft, of which 247 were 'Horalka' thefts, a 51-percent share," stated Žilinka.
He added that in February, 623 people were accused of theft, with 322 cases, or 52 percent, involving 'Horalka thefts'. Of the 436 people charged, 218 indictments were for petty theft.
According to Žilinka, these figures confirm that for perpetrators of repeated petty property offences, previous misdemeanour proceedings and penalties "didn't serve an educational, reparative, and certainly not a deterrent purpose".
Žilinka recalled that the Criminal Code amendment that expanded the crime of theft to include so-called petty thefts came into effect on 27 December of last year with the aim of protecting society from perpetrators of repeated petty thefts, educating them as well as other members of society and deterring them from committing repeated property crimes.
Source: TASR
