Zilinka: Prosecutors Find Serious Failings of Law Preceding Gelnica Murder

Bratislava, 7 July (TASR) - The Prosecutor-General's (PG) Office has identified serious breaches of the law in criminal proceedings that preceded the murder of a teacher in Gelnica, according to a statement made by Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka on Tuesday. The PG's Office said that pre-trial proceedings linked to domestic violence that resulted in a criminal order being issued against the teacher's husband, who allegedly later went on to murder his wife, weren't conducted in accordance with the law. It also found serious shortcomings in several aspects of the criminal proceedings. According to the PG, the previous offence for which the husband, Tomas V. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons], was prosecuted was incorrectly classified as the misdemeanour of making dangerous threats, whereas the case should have been investigated as the crime of abusing a close or entrusted person. Zilinka said that the failings were of such a serious nature that they cannot be tolerated. "The Regional Prosecutor in Kosice has therefore been instructed to adopt effective measures to prevent similar breaches of legality in the future and to ensure that prosecutors at the District Prosecutor's Office in Spisska Nova Ves are held accountable in a manner proportionate to the identified failings and their consequences. The Police Corps president will also be informed of these serious findings," he said. The Prosecutor-General's Office reviewed the case of Tomas V., who was sentenced by Spisska Nova Ves District Court on 9 June to an eight-month suspended prison sentence for making dangerous threats, with a 15-month probation period. The court also ordered outpatient treatment for alcohol dependency. "Following the review, it must be concluded that the pre-trial proceedings leading to the criminal order were not conducted in accordance with the law. Serious shortcomings were identified in several aspects of the criminal proceedings that can be described as a complete failure in the proper handling of a criminal case involving domestic violence," said Zilinka. The PG also found that supervision of the legality of the pre-trial proceedings was not carried out by a specialist prosecutor, despite the case clearly falling within the category of domestic violence and despite the existence of prosecutorial specialisation for such offences. It further said that there was no coordination with the prosecution's non-criminal division, even though the couple's underage daughter had also allegedly been targeted by attacks. Supervising prosecutors at the district office also failed to carry out adequate oversight, said Zilinka. Last week, Police Corps president Jana Maskarova said that an internal review of the police response to the Gelnica tragedy had found that officers acted without unnecessary delay and in compliance with the law, internal regulations and all statutory deadlines. She added that the officers handling the case committed no breaches of duty or legal regulations. Zuzana V. died in Gelnica on 20 June after allegedly being attacked by her husband. He's been charged with murder and remains in custody pending prosecution. mf/df