Murder of student Daniel Tupý: hearing postponed to November, key witness missing
The trial of Adam Puškár, accused of murdering Daniel Tupý in 2005, continues on 6 November. Police must secure two protected witnesses by that date.
Trial of Puškár stalled: court awaits protected witnesses and file of Juraj Ondrejčák
The hearing in the case of the murder of student Daniel Tupý, scheduled for Friday 4 July at Bratislava City Court I, did not take place — the case has been scheduled for 6 November. According to Google News SK — Crime (sk), spokesman for Bratislava courts Pavol Adamčiak explained that the original date was cancelled due to the absence of a substitute judge.
Police have been tasked with securing the attendance of two protected witnesses by November. Their summons could not be arranged at the previous hearing in June. Similarly, the criminal file of Juraj Ondrejčák, nicknamed Piťo — a convicted head of a criminal group known as piťovci — could not be obtained from the Specialised Criminal Court (ŠTS) at that time. The court therefore did not summon him for further testimony in June.
Ondrejčák has already testified as a witness in this trial. He was to comment on a list of persons suspected of involvement in the attack on Tupý, which he had previously handed to state authorities — specifically to former general prosecutor Dobroslav Trnka. The list forms part of his criminal file. Judge Tomáš Škultéty indicated in June that he would summon another witness for the November hearing and — if he manages to obtain the file from the ŠTS — Ondrejčák himself.
Key witness Vladimír M. admitted participation in the attack
In previous hearings, the court heard from several witnesses, including key witness Vladimír M., who testified against the accused Adam Puškár. Several other members of the group that attacked Tupý and his friends in 2005 refused to testify. Legal representative of the family Roman Kvasnica therefore proposed that the court summon them again after the expiry of a 20-year statute of limitations — which according to him expired in early November 2025.
In November 2023, Vladimír M. confirmed before the court that he was part of the group of attackers on Bratislava's Tyršovo embankment and that the accused lawyer Puškár was also present. He also admitted that he himself struck Tupý several times and stated that he carried a flick knife with him — according to his own words, he used it only for stabbing. In this connection, lawyer Kvasnica stated that the family of the injured parties is awaiting charges against Vladimír M. "Because he himself described how he attacked Daniel Tupý's head," said Kvasnica.
Prosecution: Puškár stabbed Tupý four times
According to the indictment, on 4 November 2005 at Bratislava's Tyršovo embankment, Adam Puškár, together with other persons, attacked a group of eight young people, including Daniel Tupý, a student of the Faculty of Philosophy of Comenius University at the time. He stabbed Tupý with a knife multiple times in the shoulder, thigh, chest and back; Tupý died as a result of the attack. According to the indictment, another, as yet unidentified person was also involved in the attack.
In court in 2023, Puškár declared his innocence and at the beginning of the trial refused to testify — saying he would do so later.
Source: Google News SK — Crime (sk)