Woman attacked by group of Roma on New Year's Day dies

Varnsdorf, North Bohemia, Jan 18 (CTK) - A Czech woman from a family attacked by a group of Romanies at New Year has died in a hospital, police spokesman Vojtech Hanka told journalists yesterday.

The police has ordered a forensic autopsy to find out the connection of her death with the attack, Hanka said.

Two of the assailants have been accused of breach of the peace and bodily harm and the conduct of one of them has been qualified as racially motivated, he added.

In reaction to the woman's death, the far-right Workers' Party of Social Justice (DSSS) has announced it will call a public rally in Varnsdorf.

The DSSS is a successor to the outlawed ultra-right Workers' Party (DS).

"After the attack, the woman was treated in the hospital in Rumburk, north Bohemia, and released home," Hanka said.

"As she was in a bad health condition, we could not question her," he added.

The woman, aged 62, then had to be hospitalised again.

The hospital spokesman has declined to give any details.

The woman's son who stood up against the assailants after they attacked his father has also spent several days in hospital.

On Sunday, some 200 people attended a meeting in support of the local family that was attacked by Romanies in Varnsdorf on January 1.

A daughter of the attacked man thanked the participants for their support in a letter that the organisers read at the rally.

"I was not present at the attack, but I can confirm that it really occurred. As a parent I want to live in Varnsdorf without the fear of going out to any street at night," she wrote.

Crime has been rising lately in towns in northern Bohemia's Sluknov area, known for tense relations between the majority population and Romanies. Local residents blame Romanies for the crimes, mainly frequent thefts and assaults.

The DSSS has said it demands an investigation into the case and stiff punishment of the culprits.

"We are also preparing protest demonstrations at which we will highlight again the inability of the current regime to protect decent citizens and to prevent racist attacks to which we are increasingly exposed," DSSS leader Tomas Vandas said.