Police search for man who barred Romanies from Ostrava night club


OSTRAVA, North Moravia, Dec 5 (CTK) - An unknown man recently refused to let a group of Romanies in a club in Ostrava, advised them to seek Gypsy entertainment instead and grossly offended them over their colour of skin, the local police told CTK today, adding that the case is being investigated.

A group of Romanies aged between 16 and 23 wanted to visit the Ta Magica club on Saturday shortly before midnight. At the entrance, however, they faced a man who refused to let them in and offended them.

He called them "Gypsy dirt" and other swearwords with a racial subtext. The man later disappeared and the police are searching for him.

The police are investigating the incident on suspicion of defamation of a nation, ethnic group, race and conviction and of breach of the peace.

The perpetrator faces up to two years if identified and found guilty.

If it turned out that the man worked for the club, the club's owner could face troubles as well.

The Ostrava regional court discussed a similar case last week. Three Romanies complained about the staff in the local wine bar Rubin having refused to attend to them in 2001. The court verdict granted a compensation of 50,000 crowns and a written apology to each.

In another case, the owner of the now defunct Diablo club had to apologise to three Romanies whom the club staff refused to serve in March 2004. The club owner also has to pay 30,000 crowns to each of the complainants and cover their court costs.

In January 2003, the Ostrava regional court ruled that the owner of the Club Vegas restaurant must apologise in the press to a Romany whom a local waiter refused to serve. The court, however, did not qualify the incident as racially-motivated and turned down the Romany's claim for 50,000 crowns in compensation.
(USD1=24.734 crowns)

EDITORIAL COMMENT:
"The court, however, did not qualify the incident as racially-motivated, etc". Aha, so what is it then when someone gets refused service on racial grounds for being Gypsy? It seems to only be racial grounds, whether in the Czech Republic or elsewhere in the EU, if one happens to be Black or Asian and ideally still Muslin or Jewish… but if you happen to be Gypsy; well, forget it. They can say and do what they like and a court may accept that what they did was wrong but it will not be classed as a "racially-motivated attack" or such. Amazing is it not?