Slovak Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj-Eštok was criticised after the death of a detainee who revealed cases of police brutality, with the opposition demanding accountability, including his resignation.
On 5 November, police in Košice, eastern Slovakia, arrested 48-year-old Ľubomír on suspicion of trying to steal alcohol from a local shop. Two police officers arrived and one of them severely beat the detainee, resulting in him losing consciousness and being taken to hospital, where he died the next day.
The senior officer was arrested on Monday and charged with manslaughter. He faced 12 to 15 years in prison, whereas his colleague was released. The revelations came to light only days later, with details only surfacing on 12 November.
A special closed session of the parliamentary defence and security committee was convened on Thursday to discuss the case thoroughly. Opposition MP František Majerský said after the meeting that the accused policeman tried to influence witnesses and obtain CCTV footage after the offence was committed. Another policeman who witnessed the fight also remained on duty.
Police president Solák explained that two police officers had lied in their report about Ľubomír’s arrest after a violent fight. At first, they claimed that the detainee was heavily intoxicated, slipped and fell. But the autopsy clearly showed that he died as a result of the beating.
Šutaj-Eštok said he wanted to “wait until the investigation is complete before holding anyone accountable if it is proven that there was no individual failure.” He also announced plans to introduce body cameras for officers and improve psychological testing.
However, the opposition remains adamant that accountability measures are overdue. The SaS party also accused Šutaj-Eštok of exacerbating social tensions through inflammatory rhetoric.
Ľubomír’s death is unquestionably the result of the policies of this government and of Matúš Šutaj-Eštok, who in his one year in office has only succeeded in betraying the police.
A fortnight ago, members of the parliamentary Human Rights Committee were in another department to investigate a case of brutal and apparently sexual violence by police officers against a man. Four years earlier, 23-year-old Jakub had also been the victim of police brutality in Košice, leaving an interrogation with two skull fractures that required emergency surgery.
