Satorovci Gang Member Kristian K. Receives New 20-year Jail Sentence

Banska Bystrica, 15 August (TASR) - The Specialised Criminal Court (STS) in Banska Bystrica sentenced Kristian K. (name abbreviated due to legal reasons), the second highest-ranking member of the Dunajska Streda-based Satorovci criminal gang, to a new prison term of 20 years on Friday. STS only decided on the length of the sentence. In 2019, Kristian K. was originally sentenced to 25 years. The verdict regarding his guilt, which concerned four murders and the crime of setting up and supporting a criminal group, remained unchanged. The prosecutor reserved the right to appeal, while the defendant waived this right. Kristian K.'s defence attorney in a closing statement said that the new sentence should reflect his client's cooperation with law-enforcement authorities, while claiming that he's changed behind bars. According to the attorney his client is committed to personal development, devotes his free time to education and regrets his past actions. The attorney considered a 20-year prison sentence to be appropriate. The criminal gang operated in southern Slovakia in 1999-2010, in particular in Dunajska Streda, Galanta and Komarno, but also in other regions of Slovakia and Hungary. The gang committed property-related offences and violent crimes, including a large number of murders, in which terms the Satorovci gang has no competition in Slovakia. It also eliminated members of the rival Papay gang. lin/df