© @flickr.com/photos/james_clear The quantity of offenses has risen.
Following the commencement of Russia’s all-out aggression against Ukraine, the Czech Republic has witnessed a significant rise in offenses against Ukrainians. Previously, these were infrequent, but now there are numerous occurrences, increasingly involving bodily harm. This information is outlined in an article by the Czech news outlet Seznam Zprávy.
In Iustitia, an organization dedicated to assisting victims, has released a thorough study on the issue of violence motivated by prejudice directed towards Ukrainians. It chronicled a diverse array of situations: from severe antagonism by neighbors and mistreatment of children in educational institutions to blatant denigration, physical assaults, and even an attempted homicide. Currently, four in ten incidents targeting Ukrainians manifest as physical attacks. The statistics also indicate that official records do not fully capture the extent of the problem.
According to law enforcement data, there have been 316 documented instances of hate crimes directed at Ukrainians over the past four years. A notable escalation began in 2022, subsequent to the large-scale Russian incursion.
Initially, the predominant form was verbal abuse, but with time, the proportion of physical attacks has grown. Last year, the frequency of physical attacks matched that of verbal attacks.
“Presently, Ukrainians represent the most susceptible demographic affected by physically violent, prejudice-based crimes,” stated Klara Kalibova, the Director of In Iustitia. The rate of their victimization notably surpasses that of attacks targeting Roma, LGBT+ individuals, or Jews.
“I advise my children: speak Czech”
Ukrainians residing in the Czech Republic are becoming increasingly hesitant to communicate in their native tongue publicly. Nadya, a long-time resident of Prague for 18 years, recounts that her family has been consistently subjected to disparaging remarks since the onset of the conflict.
“They yell, ‘Go back to your country, you don’t belong here. It’s that darn Ukrainian girl again,'” she recalls.
Driven by apprehensions of hostility, she even discourages her children from using Ukrainian in shared spaces.
Human rights advocates are documenting a wide spectrum of occurrences: spanning from bullying in schools and disputes with residents to physical assaults and even attempted murder.
A prominent case transpired in Prague, where a male assailant attacked a Ukrainian woman named Kateryna directly on the street. Initially, he verbally abused her with derogatory language, followed by striking her head, kicking her, and shoving her into the street.
The court handed down a 20-month prison sentence to the perpetrator. Meanwhile, the victim reports enduring enduring psychological repercussions. The young woman experiences panic attacks, shuns public transportation and common areas, and when forced to leave her dwelling, she endeavors to be accompanied by relatives.
The man had previously received a suspended sentence for a comparable assault on two Ukrainian women within a retail establishment. Even subsequent to his sentencing, he displayed no penitence.
“I couldn’t care less,” he asserted upon departing the courtroom.
Specialists attribute the growing unease to the statements made by certain politicians.
In particular, Tomio Okamura, the leader of the Czech SPD movement, has frequently issued critical statements concerning Ukrainians. Simultaneously, he declined to provide commentary on the subject of violence to the publication’s correspondents, asserting that he “has already voiced his opinion countless times” and is unwilling to engage with Seznam Zpráv because he “does not require” this media outlet, deeming social media platforms sufficient for his communication needs.