Prosecutor-General Maroš Žilinka has removed the head of the District Prosecutor's Office in Spišská Nová Ves and the deputy district prosecutor from their posts in connection with the murder case of a teacher in Gelnica. Žilinka said on Monday that he made the decision following serious findings in the criminal proceedings that preceded the tragedy.
Teacher Zuzana Valentová was killed on 20 June 2026 in Gelnica after allegedly being attacked by her husband. The man has been charged with murder and remains in custody pending trial.
Žilinka said last week that the Prosecutor-General's Office had identified serious breaches of the law in the proceedings that preceded the killing. According to his findings, the pre-trial proceedings related to domestic violence, which resulted in a criminal order being issued against the teacher's husband, were not conducted in accordance with legal requirements.
The Prosecutor-General's Office said the conduct for which the man was prosecuted had been incorrectly classified as the offence of making dangerous threats. It argued that the case should instead have been treated as a crime of domestic abuse.
Preliminary findings from the Justice Ministry's oversight review and examination of the case file support the prosecution's conclusions, the ministry's press department told TASR. The ministry said it expects to complete its review by the end of July and will publish its findings afterwards.
The Police Presidium's communications and prevention department confirmed that the Police Corps stands by the conclusions of an independent inspection authority and an independent expert unit. The Prosecutor-General did not challenge these conclusions in his own review.
The Gelnica murder has highlighted shortcomings in the protection of victims of domestic violence. Organisations supporting abused women have said that existing safeguards remain insufficient. Possible legislative changes are also being considered, including measures to improve victims' access to information about the release of offenders and to strengthen supervision of high-risk perpetrators.
Source: TASR, STVR
