In two weeks, at least two groups of foreigners were attacked on the Wilsonovo nábrežie (Wilsonovo embankment): first, Ukrainian teenagers were harmed, and on the night of July 31 to August 1 — four Indian citizens.
The attack looked like a targeted hunt. Four men in balaclavas approached the Indians and first asked where they were from. After the answer, they started beating them. The worst hit was 35-year-old Ansar Tayyib: he was knocked to the ground, kicked, and hit in the face with an unknown object. The man has lived in Nitra for three years, is a doctoral student at Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre (Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra) and teaches English, writes Pravda.sk.
Due to the severity of Ansar's injuries, he was transported to a hospital in Bratislava. He underwent surgery: fractures of the cheekbone, jaw, and displacement of the eyeball. The other victims suffered lighter injuries.
The police classify the beating as a "minor offense"
The most controversial point of this story is the reaction of law enforcement. Despite severe injuries and clear signs of a racially motivated attack, the police are currently investigating the incident as priestupok proti občianskemu spolunažívaniu (minor offense against public order), not as a crime. The case may be reclassified as a criminal proceeding if new facts emerge, police say.
Top officials of the country publicly opposed this classification. President Peter Pellegrini condemned the attack and emphasized that Slovakia must remain a safe country. The Speaker of Parliament, Richard Raši, stated that such violence is condemned without reservations: "Just as it is important for Slovak students to feel safe abroad, everyone who comes to us to study diligently has the same right to safety," he was quoted by Štandard.
Why this concerns Ukrainians
According to the regional portal MY Nitra, recently at the same place, at least two groups of foreigners were attacked — and the first target was Ukrainian teenagers. Less is known about that first incident from open sources. But the serial nature speaks for itself: the attackers disguise themselves and act according to the same scheme, so this cannot be explained as a random fight.
There are many Ukrainians in Nitra — it is a university city, with students, teachers, and families with dočasné útočisko (temporary asylum) status living here. If you or your children have witnessed or been victims of similar attacks, knowing the basic action algorithm will not hurt.
Police phone number — 158, emergency services single line — 112.
You can file a report in Slovak or English; insist on a medical examination and a protocol — without documented bodily injuries, the case can easily be downgraded to a "disorder offense."
If the attack had a racist motive, state this clearly in the report — this is grounds for criminal classification, not a minor offense.
The attackers have not been detained yet; the police are looking for witnesses. We will follow whether the case is reclassified after the resonance — and whether the men in balaclavas are found before a third attack happens in Nitra.
