Reactions to the murder in Bratislava / The Prime Minister called for an end to hatred. He appeals to politicians and the public – postoj.sk

The Prime Minister called for an end to hatred. He appeals to politicians and the public “It is unacceptable for someone to take someone’s life just because they are part of the LGBTI+ community,” said Eduard Heger. Prime Minister Eduard Heger called on the public to stop the hatred. He appeals to politicians and all those who express themselves publicly, including on social networks, to weigh their words. He emphasized that two innocent lives were lost in Bratislava on Wednesday just because they were part of the LGBTI+ community. He called it unacceptable, he talks about crossing a certain line. He pointed to the constitution and the guarantee of basic freedoms and rights of all without distinction. Read also Shooting in the center of Bratislava A teenager killed two people, the police found him dead. He confessed in a manifesto The incident took place on Zámocká Street in the Old Town. According to everything, the 19-year-old murderer Juraj K. killed because of hatred towards the LGBTI community. “On Wednesday, a certain line was crossed in this regard. This does not belong to Slovakia, we have to go back from a shorter route. We have to nip it in the bud. And that seed is our every word,” emphasized the Prime Minister. “It is unacceptable for someone to take someone’s life just because they are part of the LGBTI+ community. I strongly condemn such an act, because Slovakia is a democratic country,” he added. According to his own words, he also contacted the head of the Slovak Information Service, Michal Aláč, in the morning. He wants to meet with him and talk about whether the secret service monitored the attacker’s speech on the social network and how it proceeded. When asked what steps the prime minister plans to take in this regard, he responded that he will value every word he says in the future. He underlined that homosexuals also have the right to live in a democratic country, in freedom, peace and acceptance. He cited the constitution, which speaks of democracy, respect for the rights of every person, and the guarantee of basic rights and freedom for all, regardless of race, nationality, ethnic group, or other status. He emphasized that we live in the 21st century and we should all reflect on these events. He rejects extremism and its manifestations, condemned anger and hatred in society. He urges all to consider any expressions of this nature. In response to information that the perpetrator allegedly threatened to attack him, the Prime Minister said that he was not afraid for his life. He confirmed that the shooter also took pictures in front of his house in Bratislava. The shooting in the center of Bratislava took place on Wednesday after 7:00 p.m. Two men died on the spot. One woman was injured and was taken to one of the Bratislava hospitals. The perpetrator fled the scene. The police found him dead. President Zuzana Čaputová declared that hatred of the minority, fueled for a long time by the stupid and irresponsible statements of politicians, cost innocent human lives. “I have been saying for three years that even words are a weapon. That we politicians are responsible for every single word we utter. Yet many here recklessly fill the space with hate. I am angry that even some prosecutors and judges do not attach importance to verbal crimes and do not consider them dangerous,” she pointed out. She called on public officials not to incite intolerance with their statements, and on judicial authorities to take action. “I express my sincere condolences to the survivors and strength to the people of the LGBTI community who feel threatened by this attack,” the president said. Speaker of the Parliament Boris Kollár condemned the double murder of young people. “It is unacceptable for society or individuals to behave in such a hateful manner towards anyone,” he said on the social network. He expressed his sincere condolences to the bereaved and grieving families. The mayor of Bratislava, Matúš Vallo, stated that he wishes and will do everything to ensure that Bratislava remains a tolerant city. He expressed his sincere condolences to all survivors, friends and acquaintances of the two victims. “Our task is to take care of all minorities, to protect the weaker ones. Today, we are all behind the LGBT community, which was mentioned in the manifesto. I want to appeal to everyone to pay attention to what is spread on social networks, but also to politicians who use an attack on some population group to gain political points and divide society. This has to end because it can lead to the things that happened yesterday,” he added.