Bulgaria's Prosecution Offered Bargain in A Case of Racist Assault

Crime | May 19, 2014, Monday // 17:28|  views

The prosecution offered a plea bargain to two men, accused of an assault on a black woman in Sofia last month, said the human rights NGO Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC). 

According to the NGO the woman, who is a French citizen, was standing at a bus stop in Sofia along with three Bulgarian friends. A group of six-seven men “in tight jeans, black bomber jackets, army boots and short hairdos”, upon seeing her from the trolley bus they were travelling in, started making “monkey sounds”, screamed “grab the nigger” and jumped off the vehicle. 

The assailants surrounded the French woman – four of them started hitting her with fists and kicking her, while the others prevented – again with fists and kicks – her friends from intervening. According to the medical documents, the woman was severely beaten.

The police arrested two of the alleged attackers and against them were charged with assault. 

The BHC expressed their outrage with the fact that the prosecution pressed charges for assault with hooliganism motives, rather than for racial motives and offered a plea bargain. 

“In the context of the increasing number of assaults with racist, xenophobic and homophobic motives in Bulgaria and the ever more vocal encouragement of such actions, the actions of the prosecution have the power to prevent or encourage hate crimes,” the BHC said.

The BHC said they would represent the victim in court.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!


Tags: black, woman, French, assault, racist, racial

Back  

» Related Articles:

Search

Search