Racialised humiliation during custody
The events of 4–6 July 2001 began after police intervened in a conflict in Magnezitovce and detained Karol Sendrei Sr. and two of his sons. Testimony reported in Slovak media described prolonged violence and degrading treatment in custody, including being restrained and repeatedly beaten. The abuse also involved explicit antigypsyist humiliation: the men were allegedly forced to sing and to insult themselves using racist language, showing that the violence targeted their Roma identity as well as their bodies. Karol Sendrei Sr. died during detention, and the case moved through Slovak courts, becoming a widely cited example of police brutality against Roma and the ongoing difficulty of securing accountability.
„We had to sing. We had to swear at each other, everything possible – I’m a filthy, stinking gypsy.“
Peter Sendrei (son of Karol Sendrei)
Further Reading / Sources
Amnesty International – “Slovakia: death of a Romani man in custody” (EUR 72/003/2001)
Primary international briefing focused entirely on Karol Sendrei’s death, timeline of events, injuries, and concerns about impunity
ERRC – “Slovak officials kill another Rom” (Roma Rights, 15 August 2001)
Detailed early account of the incident, police intervention in Magnezitovce, the beating, detention in Revúca, and autopsy findings.
Amnesty International Report 2002 – Slovak Republic (section on Karol Sendrei)
Concise follow‑up summary of the case, describing tying to a radiator, prolonged beating, and subsequent charges against police officers
Human Rights Watch – World Report 2002: Slovakia (Roma and policing section)
Places the Sendrei killing within a broader pattern of police abuse against Roma and notes the arrests of local officials and police officers
.týždeň – “Kto zabil Sendreia?” (Andrej Bán, 19 October 2007)
In‑depth Slovak narrative of the case, including vivid medical and forensic details and survivor testimony such as the forced self‑insults you quote.
Denník N – “Prípad Sendrei alebo Najtemnejšia predohra policajnej brutality v Košiciach” (13 November 2024)
Contemporary Slovak retrospective situating the Sendrei case in the longer history of police brutality against Roma and summarising key facts and injuries