Prague tram driver to pay compensation and undergo re-education for insulting Ukrainian family
Kyiv • UNN
The Prague District Court sentenced a tram driver to 200 hours of community service for a conflict with a Ukrainian couple. He must undergo re-education and pay 55,000 CZK in compensation.
The District Court of Prague sentenced a tram driver to 200 hours of community service for a conflict last year with a Ukrainian couple. In addition, the accused must undergo a social rehabilitation program and pay the injured couple 55,000 crowns in compensation. This was reported by IDNES, writes UNN.
Details
The defense insisted on a full acquittal of the accused. The lawyer argued that the Ukrainians' testimonies were allegedly inconsistent and changed over time. The applicants themselves, according to him, were guided by the desire to receive monetary compensation.
In contrast, the prosecution emphasized that at least eight complaints had been filed against the driver during his employment. The prosecutor requested a five-month suspended sentence along with a rehabilitation program.
Ultimately, the court concluded that the act was hooliganism, not a crime based on the humiliation of national dignity. That is why an alternative punishment was chosen.
"The defendant had not been previously punished and is a young, healthy person capable of physical work," the judge noted.
Germany recorded a record drop in the number of migrants and refugees05.01.26, 00:50 • 5287 views
In addition to community service, the driver is obliged to undergo a correctional program and pay 55,000 crowns – the exact amount the Ukrainian family specified in their lawsuit.
Addition
The incident occurred on February 28, when a video circulated on Czech social media showing a Prague tram driver shouting at a Ukrainian couple, allegedly because their child was dirtying the seats in the transport. He also hit the man, after which the child began to cry.
"You have no right to be here, in this country! I'm calling the police! You're dirtying the tram. Do you understand?" the driver shouted.
Prague City Council member for transport, Zdeněk Hřib, said he was shocked by the situation on the tram. According to him, "whatever preceded this situation, such behavior is absolutely unacceptable, especially in front of a small child."
The driver himself disagreed with the description of the situation, claiming that he himself had been insulted.
"I asked for the child to be removed from the seat. The gentleman probably didn't understand me, and I didn't understand him either – he spoke broken Czech. He said the child had clean shoes. I insisted that he put her in the stroller," he claimed.
Government Commissioner for Human Rights Klára Šimáčková-Laurenčíková called the incident "a clear manifestation of prejudice-based violence." She reported that she was in contact with the Ministry of Interior, representatives of the Ukrainian minority, and the Ukrainian embassy regarding this case.