Petőcz Kálmán (szerk.): National Populism and Slovak - Hungarian Relations in Slovakia 2006-2009 (Somorja, 2009)
Annex
The Case of Hedviga Malinová Malinová was also summoned to questioning at the Office of Attorney General but she refused to testify, arguing that she was not aware of charges against her. Her mother, father and boyfriend refused to testify too, citing the same reasons. On October 19, 2007, the Office of Attorney General questioned Zdeno Kamenický who again confirmed that Róbert Benci’s uncle had told him that Benci was one of the two assailants. Commenting on Kamenický’s testimony, Roman Kvasnica told the media that some youngsters with shaved heads tried to intimidate Kamenický in September 2007 in Nitra, threatening to hurt him if he does not let Róbert be. The police patrol that was called to the incident refused to protocol it; instead, Kamenický and assailants were asked to shake hands. IINVESTICjATÍOIN iIN tIhE bíRCIn CjROVE On October 19, 2007, a gang of skinheads attacked a group of university students who smoked in front of Old Theatre in Nitra with chains and clubs. The head of the Regional Police Force Headquarters in Nitra initially tried to deny the very fact that the incident had happened; the police began to investigate the entire affair after it had leaked to the press and a number of victims publicly protested. On October 28, 2007, the police apprehended several assailants including Róbert Benci, one of suspected perpetrators of the attack on Hedviga Malinová.25 Then 17 year-old delinquent was charged with hooliganism but the prosecutor released him the next day on grounds of his minor age. In the meantime it turned out that Benci had become a habitual offender; in 2005, he battered a boy on the Nitra central bus station and a year later he faced criminal prosecution for wearing racist symbols. Benci together with his mother and grandmother was questioned at the Office of Attorney General on October 21, 2007; his uncle was questioned two weeks later. According to Roman Kvasnica, the witnesses were unable to refute the testimony by Zdeno Kamenický according to which Benci had been involved in the attack on Malinová. It also turned out that these witnesses had not been questioned by the police regarding the Malinová case. Benci recollected that the police had contacted him sometime after the attack and asked him regarding his whereabouts on the street, in front of their house.26 He told the investigators that he had slept at home and since this information was confirmed by his mother, they left. They searched him out again after Zdeno Kamenický had told the media that Benci was one of the assailants. Again, the investigators asked Benci, his mother and his 313
