President: Woman from Slovakia among Victims of Deadly Attack in Sydney (2)

Bratislava, 15 December (TASR) - The grief flowing from the deadly attack on Bondi Beach in Australia has reached Slovakia as well, President Peter Pellegrini has posted on a social network in connection with the announcement that a woman from Slovakia was among the victims. "One of the victims of the shooters' mad rage was a Slovak called Marika. "I'm hereby expressing my sincere condolences to her family," wrote the president. He expressed his horror at "what sick and anonymous hatred towards unknown people can lead to just because they have a different faith, skin colour, origin or orientation". In connection with the tragedy in Australia, he called for a halt to the spread of hatred. "It will eventually stop at nothing, and the result is the ruined lives of innocent people," stressed the president. Pellegrini's predecessor, Zuzana Caputova has also announced the death of the Slovak woman on social media. The ex-president confirmed that the deceased was a close friend of her family. "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to our friend Marika, whom we've met in person in the town of Komarno (Nitra region) each June in recent years. She became a victim of a terrorist attack during Hanukkah on her favourite beach, Bondi Beach in Australia. We share our grief with her family and friends, and we'll never forget the days that we spent together," the Jewish Religious Community of Komarno has posted on Facebook. It was the 24.hu website that first pointed to the community's post, according to which 82-year-old Marika received the Mensch Award from the Australian Jewish Community Appeal in 2019 for 23 years of volunteer work in a programme for Jewish seniors via the Activity Centre, during which she distributed more than 12,000 kosher meals. She always remained true to her Hungarian Jewish roots, wrote 24.hu. At least 16 people were killed in the shootings that took place on Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday (14 December) during celebrations of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, with 15 of them being victims and the 16th one of the shooters. The fatalities identified so far include a ten-year-old girl, a former police officer, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor. At least 38 people have been admitted into hospital in Sydney. NOTE: This story has been extended to include the fourth and fifth paragraphs ko/df