Veszprém stabbing
Encyclopedia
In the Veszprém stabbing of 8 February, 2009, a group of people stabbed three members of the MKB Veszprém handball team in a bar in Veszprém
, Hungary
, which caused the death of one of them, Marian Cozma
.
clan
of the Raffael and Sztojka Romani families based in the town of Enying
, Hungary
started to take power in the nightlife of the northern shore of Lake Balaton
, a major tourist destination of Hungary. Siófok was a favorite place of the clan. This caused headache for the restaurant owners since they often made quarrels and did not pay their bills.
Not a long time before the case, two of the three suspected persons (including Iván Sztojka) were released from prison after the duration of their prison sentence was mitigated by one third because of "good behavior".
Witnesses from Enying have stated that the town is under the terror of the clan. Residents claim to know the clan's gathering point, a gas station. Locals allege that not long before the murder, the police stopped a truck loaded with supposedly stolen metal
but the driver threatened the policeman while sticking a pistol in his mouth. (Metal theft by organized crime gangs is a serious problem in Hungary, having caused significant power and telephone outages and possibly even railway accidents.) However, police denies that the crime rate of Enying is above average. The Patrióta Lokál, the scene of the murder is a bar mostly serving as a club with a stable guest circle (including the handball team). In 2008, the bar won the town's "safe bar prize".
and Dég
(different sources cite 15, 20 or 30 people, including suspected Iván Sztojka, Sándor Raffael and Győző Németh) to take a vengeance and started to search for the person in Veszprém at night to "settle" the problem. They thought the person would stay that night at the bar called Patrióta Lokál (English: Patriot local
) also known as Skorpió bár (English: Scorpion bar).
handball team (including Croat
goalkeeper Ivan Pešić
and Serb
playmaker Žarko Šešum) arrived at the two-storey bar at around 12:30 a.m. to celebrate the birth of teammate Gergő Iváncsik
's son and the birthday of teammate Nikola Eklemovic. They stayed in the dance hall in the lower storey (basement). The upper storey serves as a cocktail bar. A group of 15 Roma arrived at the bar between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m. They went down into the crowded dance hall and three of them - Raffael, Sztojka and Németh - immediately started to banter others. Many people - shocked by the appearance of the never-seen-before gang - left the place. As CCTV recordings shows, the gang of 3 picked the sportsmen and attacked them without any premise. Subsequently the music was shut down and people started to flee the place. The recordings of the camera over the stairway shows Cozma running up to the exit pursued by his attackers. In front of the bar Cozma was stabbed in the back first which made him collapse. Raffael then stepped to him and stabbed him in the heart twice. When teammates wanted to help Cozma the other two Roma - Sztojka and Németh - stabbed Pešić in the kidney and kicked Šešum in the head.
Police confuted the rumors about the bartender girl being assaulted.
The police arriving to the scene resuscitated
Cozma and the three injured players were hospitalized. The doctors could not save Cozma's life, he died in the hospital after two hours. Pešić had to have his kidney removed after being stabbed and Šešum suffered severe craniocerebral trauma from the kick to the head.
The murder was caught on tape by nearby surveillance cameras, and records proved that person who actually killed Cozma was Sándor Raffael. Three men are wanted in connection of the crime, Iván Sztojka, Győző Németh and Sándor Raffael.
Exclusively to Realitatea TV
, Monica Maria Iacob Ridzi
, Youth and Sports Minister of Romania, has revealed that one of the suspects has already been detained by Hungarian police. It was later confirmed that two of the men wanted by police, Sándor Raffael and Győző Németh were indeed captured by Austrian police while on their way to escape to Italy where they were employing prostitutes as it turned out from their accounts on the largest Hungarian community site iWiW
.
published a controversial editorial that was accused of being racist. Ferenc Gyurcsány
, the Hungarian prime minister criticized the newspaper, saying that the gravity of the criminal act is to be considered, not the ethnic origin of the suspects. After a nationwide manhunt which included setting up a special investigative unit and offering 2 million Hungarian Forint
s (approximately €
7,000) for information on the suspect's whereabouts, Iván Sztojka gave himself up at the Veszprém Police station on the night of 12 February, at the pressures of the leader of his Romani community. He allegedly denied his participation in the crime, stating that he was only "at the wrong place at a wrong time".
Petre Cozma, Marian Cozma's father, consistently said that not all Roma should be considered guilty for his son's death. He stated, "Let's not burn a forest for a sapless stub". János Ladányi, a Hungarian sociologist, was of the opinion that the anti-gypsy attitude reached such an irrational level that even a civil war was possible. Attacks against Romani people in Hungary have been recorded after the incident, however, there is no evidence of racist motive in either case.
Veszprém
Veszprém is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county of the same name.-Location:...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, which caused the death of one of them, Marian Cozma
Marian Cozma
Marian Cozma was a Romanian handball player. He was born in Tei, Bucharest and died in Veszprém, Hungary after being attacked and stabbed in a nightclub fight...
.
Circumstances
During the summer of 2008 the mafiaOrganized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
clan
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
of the Raffael and Sztojka Romani families based in the town of Enying
Enying
Enying is a town in Fejér county, Hungary....
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
started to take power in the nightlife of the northern shore of Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of its foremost tourist destinations. As Hungary is landlocked , Lake Balaton is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea"...
, a major tourist destination of Hungary. Siófok was a favorite place of the clan. This caused headache for the restaurant owners since they often made quarrels and did not pay their bills.
Not a long time before the case, two of the three suspected persons (including Iván Sztojka) were released from prison after the duration of their prison sentence was mitigated by one third because of "good behavior".
Witnesses from Enying have stated that the town is under the terror of the clan. Residents claim to know the clan's gathering point, a gas station. Locals allege that not long before the murder, the police stopped a truck loaded with supposedly stolen metal
Metal theft
Metal theft is the theft of metal items on a very large scale. These thefts usually increase when worldwide prices for scrap metal rise. In recent years, prices for metals have risen dramatically due to rapid industrialization in India and China...
but the driver threatened the policeman while sticking a pistol in his mouth. (Metal theft by organized crime gangs is a serious problem in Hungary, having caused significant power and telephone outages and possibly even railway accidents.) However, police denies that the crime rate of Enying is above average. The Patrióta Lokál, the scene of the murder is a bar mostly serving as a club with a stable guest circle (including the handball team). In 2008, the bar won the town's "safe bar prize".
7 February 2009
In the afternoon on Saturday, 7 February 2009, a criminal from Veszprém who just left the prison knocked down one of the members of the clan who suffered severe injuries. The clan-member organized a group of family and friends from the villages of EnyingEnying
Enying is a town in Fejér county, Hungary....
and Dég
Dég
Dég is a village in Fejér county, Hungary.- External links :*...
(different sources cite 15, 20 or 30 people, including suspected Iván Sztojka, Sándor Raffael and Győző Németh) to take a vengeance and started to search for the person in Veszprém at night to "settle" the problem. They thought the person would stay that night at the bar called Patrióta Lokál (English: Patriot local
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
) also known as Skorpió bár (English: Scorpion bar).
8 February 2009
Cozma and other members of the KC VeszprémKC Veszprém
Kézilabda Club Veszprém is a Hungarian handball club from Veszprém, that plays in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I and the EHF Champions League. One of the most successful teams in the country, Veszprém have won the Hungarian Championship a record 19 times and took the Hungarian Cup title an unprecedented...
handball team (including Croat
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
goalkeeper Ivan Pešić
Ivan Pešić
Ivan Pešić is a Serbian football player. The forward plays for FK Novi Pazar in Serbian SuperLiga.-Early career:...
and Serb
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
playmaker Žarko Šešum) arrived at the two-storey bar at around 12:30 a.m. to celebrate the birth of teammate Gergő Iváncsik
Gergő Iváncsik
Gergő Iváncsik is a Hungarian handballer who plays for MKB Veszprém KC and the Hungarian national team.-Club:...
's son and the birthday of teammate Nikola Eklemovic. They stayed in the dance hall in the lower storey (basement). The upper storey serves as a cocktail bar. A group of 15 Roma arrived at the bar between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m. They went down into the crowded dance hall and three of them - Raffael, Sztojka and Németh - immediately started to banter others. Many people - shocked by the appearance of the never-seen-before gang - left the place. As CCTV recordings shows, the gang of 3 picked the sportsmen and attacked them without any premise. Subsequently the music was shut down and people started to flee the place. The recordings of the camera over the stairway shows Cozma running up to the exit pursued by his attackers. In front of the bar Cozma was stabbed in the back first which made him collapse. Raffael then stepped to him and stabbed him in the heart twice. When teammates wanted to help Cozma the other two Roma - Sztojka and Németh - stabbed Pešić in the kidney and kicked Šešum in the head.
Police confuted the rumors about the bartender girl being assaulted.
The police arriving to the scene resuscitated
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
Cozma and the three injured players were hospitalized. The doctors could not save Cozma's life, he died in the hospital after two hours. Pešić had to have his kidney removed after being stabbed and Šešum suffered severe craniocerebral trauma from the kick to the head.
The murder was caught on tape by nearby surveillance cameras, and records proved that person who actually killed Cozma was Sándor Raffael. Three men are wanted in connection of the crime, Iván Sztojka, Győző Németh and Sándor Raffael.
Exclusively to Realitatea TV
Realitatea TV
Realitatea TV is a Romanian news television network. The channel is distributed by many cable operators in Romania and Moldova. Its main owner is Romanian businessman Elan Schwartzenberg....
, Monica Maria Iacob Ridzi
Monica Maria Iacob Ridzi
Monica Maria Iacob Ridzi is a Romanian politician. She is the head of the youth wing of the Democratic Liberal Party, and a representative in the Chamber of Deputies of Romania since 2008...
, Youth and Sports Minister of Romania, has revealed that one of the suspects has already been detained by Hungarian police. It was later confirmed that two of the men wanted by police, Sándor Raffael and Győző Németh were indeed captured by Austrian police while on their way to escape to Italy where they were employing prostitutes as it turned out from their accounts on the largest Hungarian community site iWiW
IWiW
iWiW is a Hungarian social networking web service started on April 14, 2002 as WiW . , it has 2,6 million registered users with real names. Every user can provide personal information such as the place they live in, date of birth, schools and universities they attended, workplaces, interests and...
.
Aftermath
Footage showing Győző Németh, the second suspect in the murder case, handcuffed and being detained by the Austrian police became publicly available. The newspaper Magyar HírlapMagyar Hírlap
Magyar Hírlap is a Hungarian daily. It started in 1968 as a newspaper of the Hungarian government. In 1990 it became independent. In November 2006, media tycoon Gábor Széles bought Magyar Hirlap...
published a controversial editorial that was accused of being racist. Ferenc Gyurcsány
Ferenc Gyurcsány
Ferenc Gyurcsány is a Hungarian politician. He was the sixth Prime Minister of Hungary from 2004 to 2009.He was nominated to take that position on 25 August 2004 by the Hungarian Socialist Party , after Péter Medgyessy resigned due to a conflict with the Socialist Party's coalition partner...
, the Hungarian prime minister criticized the newspaper, saying that the gravity of the criminal act is to be considered, not the ethnic origin of the suspects. After a nationwide manhunt which included setting up a special investigative unit and offering 2 million Hungarian Forint
Hungarian forint
The forint is the currency of Hungary. It is divided into 100 fillér, although fillér coins are no longer in circulation. The introduction of the forint on 1 August 1946 was a crucial step of the post-WWII stabilization of the Hungarian economy, and the currency remained relatively stable until...
s (approximately €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
7,000) for information on the suspect's whereabouts, Iván Sztojka gave himself up at the Veszprém Police station on the night of 12 February, at the pressures of the leader of his Romani community. He allegedly denied his participation in the crime, stating that he was only "at the wrong place at a wrong time".
Petre Cozma, Marian Cozma's father, consistently said that not all Roma should be considered guilty for his son's death. He stated, "Let's not burn a forest for a sapless stub". János Ladányi, a Hungarian sociologist, was of the opinion that the anti-gypsy attitude reached such an irrational level that even a civil war was possible. Attacks against Romani people in Hungary have been recorded after the incident, however, there is no evidence of racist motive in either case.