Two Gay Men Shot Dead Outside Bar In Slovakia
Image: Matus H (23) and Juraj V. (26) were shot dead by a gunman in a suspected hate crime.
Thousands rallied together in Slovakia’s capital city Bratislava on Friday to honour two gay men who were shot dead outside bar in Slovakia in a suspected hate crime.
Police on Friday identified the victims as as 23-year-old Matus H. and 26-year-old Juraj V. A third person, Radoslava T, was wounded in her leg.
The suspected attacker was found dead on Thursday morning. Though information on his motive has yet to be released, local media have reported that the gunman had published several posts spewing hate against the Jewish and LGBTQI communities.
According to Los Angeles Blade, the gunman was identified as 19-year-old Juraj Krajcik, the son of a former candidate for a far-right political party. Krajcik’s anti-Jewish and anti-LGBTQI+ posts included a ‘manifesto’ that was published before the shooting.
Police Classify Murder As Hate Crime
I strongly condem a murder of two young people shot dead in #Bratislava last night by a radicalised teenager. No form of white supremacy, racism and #extremism against communities, incl. #LGBTI, can be tolerated. We will fight disinfo channels spreading hate &protect minorities
— Eduard Heger (@eduardheger) October 13, 2022
A Polícia Slovenskej republiky representative, the country’s national police force, said that the shootings had been classified as premeditated murder, motivated by hatred of a sexual minority.
An estimated 20,000 people attended the vigil in mourning while demanding action and further protection of LGBTQI+ rights.
In Slovakia, same-sex marriage or civil unions are not recognised by law and same-sex couples are granted very limited legal rights in inheritance.
Prime Minister Eduard Heger condemned the shooting, calling the gunman a “radicalised teenager”. Heger posted to Twitter, “No form of white supremacy, racism and extremism against communities, incl.LGBTI, can be tolerated. We will fight disinfo channels spreading hate &protect minorities”.
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova, who participated in the vigil, spoke of her support to the LGBT community in the aftermath of the shooting.
“I want to say to the LGBT community, it is not you who don’t belong here, it is not you who should be afraid to walk in the streets. It is hate that does not belong in Slovakia,” she told reporters after visiting the scene of the attack.
Anti-LGBTQI Hatred Is Spreading
President of the Association of Parents and Friends of LGBTI+ people Elena Martinčoková condemned the far-right and the role of homophobia to lead to such acts of violence.
In a Facebook post published by Košice PRIDE, she said that the deaths of these men could have been prevented and asserted that this would not intimidate the queer community.
“Certain people are responsible for this tragedy. They are the ones who are intensively and increasingly inciting and spreading hatred towards the LGBTI community.
In the National Council of Slovakia, in government, among many church representatives, in extremist groups, among disinformation spreaders and those who do not have credible information, or when they have it, they do not understand them or do not want to understand. I hope this tragedy will not leave the public indifferent. We must act, we must act now. We will not be quiet. We are not going to be intimidated.”
