Police chief: Officers did not err in Gelnica murder case
An internal investigation into police handling of the murder of teacher Zuzana V. from Gelnica found no breach of official duties or legal regulations. Police chief Jana Maškarová ordered the review following the tragedy that occurred on 20 June.
Police chief: Officers did not err in Gelnica murder case
Internal investigation uncovered no wrongdoing on the part of units that handled the file on domestic violence in the Gelnica family. Police chief Jana Maškarová ordered a review of whether uniformed personnel adhered to all internal standards and legal deadlines. The results showed they did. Aktuality.sk
The woman died on 20 June 2026. Her husband, who had assaulted and strangled her in winter, had been in custody since February. The court subsequently gave him a suspended sentence, which led to his release on 9 June. Less than two weeks later, he killed her.
The review focused on the period from when the perpetrator was released until the day of the offence. Police representatives stated that neither the victim nor anyone in her circle requested physical protection or filed a complaint requesting security measures. Without such a complaint, officers could not activate a special monitoring regime.
At the same time, it emerged that they acted quickly following the winter incident. The suspect was detained within two hours of the report being received. The following day, a police officer from the Gelnica district filed a motion for detention in custody. The judge approved it on 24 February. On the same day, a record about the victim was handed to an intervention centre, which subsequently approached her with an offer of specialist assistance.
An investigator from the criminal investigation unit in Spišská Nová Ves filed a motion for prosecution within the timeframe allowed by regulations. The court, however, decided on a suspended sentence, which enabled the man's return to society.
Maškarová described the case as extremely serious and expressed condolences to the bereaved. At the same time, she initiated talks with the justice ministry and the Prison and Justice Guard Corps. She wants to find ways to improve protection for people at risk of domestic violence.
Last year, uniformed officers intervened in cases of domestic violence 1,167 times. They removed the aggressor from the shared home and thus helped more than a thousand victims.
Source: Google News SK