Justice Ministry: Preliminary Review Backs Prosecution in Gelnica Murder Case

Bratislava, 7 July (TASR) - Preliminary findings from the Justice Ministry's oversight review and case file inspection into the tragic murder of a teacher from Gelnica support the prosecution's conclusions, the ministry's press department told TASR on Tuesday. The ministry said it agreed with the statements made by Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka. The review is expected to conclude at the end of July, when the ministry will present its full findings. "The Justice Ministry agrees with the Prosecutor=General's statement, which is also supported by the ministry's findings to date from the ongoing oversight review and the ordered inspection of case files in the tragic murder of the teacher from Gelnica," the ministry claimed. The preliminary findings also indicate that errors occurred at every stage of the criminal proceedings. "The scope of these failings, their nature and the degree of responsibility of the individual authorities involved will be the subject of further investigation and the final conclusions of the oversight review," the ministry added. It was Justice Minister Boris Susko who ordered the review. "It is clear that if these failings are confirmed, they cannot remain without clear accountability. Every failure must be thoroughly examined and everyone responsible must face appropriate consequences. Our aim, however, is not only to identify individual mistakes. It is equally important to introduce measures to ensure that a similar tragedy never happens again," Susko said. The ministry expects to complete the review by the end of July and will then disclose all of its findings. "At the same time, we will present a package of measures that the Justice Ministry has been preparing for some time and which is already undergoing interdepartmental consultation, regardless of this tragedy," Susko declared. The package will include legislative, methodological and organisational measures designed to strengthen protection for victims and improve the functioning of the criminal justice process. Earlier in the day, the Prosecutor-General's Office said it had identified serious breaches of the law in criminal proceedings that preceded the teacher's murder. According to Zilinka, the pre-trial proceedings that resulted in a penal order against the teacher's husband were not conducted in accordance with the law. The office said Tomas V. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] had been incorrectly prosecuted for the lesser offence of dangerous threats, whereas the case should have been classified as the more serious crime of abusing a close or entrusted person. Zuzana V. died on 20 June in Gelnica after being attacked by her husband. He has been charged with the particularly serious crime of murder and remains in custody pending prosecution. mf