Kuřim prison inmates sentenced to nine years for sexual assault on fellow prisoners
Brno regional court has sentenced two convicts from Kuřim prison to nine years in prison. In ward number 9, they systematically sexually assaulted other inmates.
Kuřim prison inmates sentenced to nine years for sexual assault on fellow prisoners
Brno regional court on Thursday imposed nine-year sentences on two convicts from Kuřim prison. Štefan Gaži and Dušan Pém systematically sexually abused two further inmates in ward number nine, according to Novinky.cz.
The panel, headed by judge Dagmar Bordovská, found both men guilty of dozens of counts of rape. The inmates who became their victims had to comply with their demands under threat of physical violence. The judge described how both convicted men behaved dominantly and aggressively even in non-sexual situations. A climate of fear prevailed in the ward, and other fellow inmates knew that both men did not hesitate to resort to violence.
Proof was complicated by the fact that all those involved – the defendants, the injured parties and witnesses – were serving sentences. "These individuals have variously damaged personalities, lifestyles and experience with criminal proceedings. They have various toxic relationships and their behaviour stems from that," Bordovská explained.
One of the injured parties is himself a sexual deviant, but the court concluded that he had no reason to fabricate claims. The second injured party gradually changed his testimony, which could have been related to trauma.
Both perpetrators have a history of previous convictions for violent sexual offences. "In both cases there are pronounced aggravating circumstances. Both are individuals with full criminal records involving violent, aggressive sexual activity. They have lengthy sentences behind them, yet they committed further criminal acts directly in prison," the judge said when delivering the sentence.
Gaži and Pém faced sentences of between five and twelve years. Pém did not attend the announcement of the decision. Gaži lodged an appeal on the spot, so the ruling has not yet become legally binding.
Source: Novinky.cz