Murder of teacher in Gelnica: Man killed her 11 days after release from custody
The woman had sought a court order protecting her from her aggressive husband, but the court rejected her request. The perpetrator attacked her just days after he was released from custody.
Murder of teacher in Gelnica: Man killed her 11 days after release from custody
On Saturday 20 June, a 47-year-old teacher Zuzana V. was murdered in Gelnica by her own husband. According to available information, he inflicted more than thirty stab wounds to her abdomen, arms, back and neck with a pocket folding knife. The tragedy occurred at a family cottage, with their son present on a bench in front of the building during the attack. The perpetrator fled the scene by car and was detained by police within a few hours.
The man faces a charge of murder with a penalty range of 20 to 25 years or life imprisonment. According to media reports, he confessed to the act. He committed the bloody crime eleven days after being released from custody. In February, under the influence of alcohol, he had physically attacked his wife and threatened her with death. For dangerous threats, the District Court Spišská Nová Ves sentenced him on 9 June to an eight-month suspended sentence of imprisonment with a deferral period of fifteen months and ordered him to undergo outpatient alcohol treatment. The sentence became final and the man was released.
The victim, however, filed a petition with the District Court Spišská Nová Ves on 28 February requesting an urgent protective order. She asked the court to impose on her husband a ban on approaching within a distance of less than fifty metres and a ban on using her flat. The reason was that the man, after twenty-three years of abstinence, had started drinking again and was behaving aggressively. However, the court rejected the request because at the time of its filing, the perpetrator was already in custody.
The woman received no information about her husband's release from custody. Prison authorities told Denník N that she did not request such information.
The case has sparked passionate discussion about protecting domestic violence victims and the functioning of preventive measures. Justice Minister Boris Susko also commented on the tragedy. According to his words, nothing so far suggests that the court acted improperly. However, he admitted that if the investigation reveals a possible procedural error, he is prepared to order oversight of the court's proceedings. At the same time, he emphasised that no law can prevent individual failure if someone decides to commit such an act.
General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka views the case differently. On social media, he pointed to the necessity of real systematic work with perpetrators, particularly those suffering from substance dependence, and not merely its simulation. His statement came at a time when the public is asking whether there were tools that could have prevented the tragedy.
The Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights and National Minorities called an extraordinary session for Monday, to which it invited the Interior Minister, the Justice Minister and Police President Jana Maškarová. The MPs will seek information about the circumstances of the case and about conceptual preventive measures to protect women from violence.
Source: Denník N
Source: Denník N