SME Daily Commentator Peter Schutz Attacked in Kosice (2)

Kosice, 11 January (TASR) - SME daily newspaper commentator Peter Schutz was attacked in Kosice on Saturday afternoon (10 January), TASR has learnt on Sunday. According to the newspaper, an unknown person struck him on the head in a shopping centre. As a result, the commentator fell and suffered a broken thigh bone, and must undergo a surgery. "I want to believe that this was not an attack related to our colleague's work. I expect the police to secure CCTV footage, track down the perpetrator, and investigate the motive behind his actions," editor-in-chief Roman Krpelan told SME about the incident. The police added that a passer-by found the 70-year-old man sitting on the ground near the toilets, refusing medical treatment. He was taken home. The police weren't informed about the incident directly from the scene by the private security service or any other person. They were informed in the evening by a relative of the injured man. The police then contacted him personally and began to take the necessary steps to clarify the incident. "The police assure the public that they are acting intensively and actively in this case. Due to the ongoing investigation, it isn't possible to provide more information," said spokesperson for the Kosice regional police Jana Illesova, adding that criminal proceedings have been initiated due to a misdemeanour of bodily harm. NOTE: This story has been extended to include the final two paragraphs. am