Police in Nitra are investigating a violent assault on a group of Indian nationals, in which one of the victims suffered severe facial injuries and required surgery.
The attack took place during the night of 1 August on Wilson Embankment. One of the victims, a 35-year-old Indian citizen who studies at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra and teaches English at a local language school, sustained serious facial injuries and underwent emergency surgery.
Speaking to the daily SME, the victim said that he and three friends were returning from the city centre and sitting on a bench by the river when a group of four men approached them. According to his account, the men first put on masks and balaclavas. One of them then asked in English, «Where are you from?» After the group replied that they were from India, the attackers immediately began assaulting them.
The student suffered the most serious injuries. He said he was punched and kicked repeatedly, and after he had fallen to the ground, one of the attackers struck him in the face with an unidentified object. He sustained a fractured cheekbone, a fractured upper jaw, and a serious eye injury that required emergency surgery in Bratislava. His mobile phone and wallet also went missing during the attack.
Police confirmed that officers responded after receiving a report of the assault. The victim was given first aid, but according to police, he declined to pursue the matter further at the time. Officers searched the surrounding area but were unable to locate the suspected attackers.
The incident is currently being handled by the Nitra-West Police Department as a minor administrative offence. Police stressed, however, that the case could be reclassified as a criminal investigation if new evidence emerges. The victim has already submitted a written request to the prosecutor’s office asking for the case to be treated as a criminal matter.
The assault has sparked widespread public concern. Speaker of the National Council Richard Raši condemned the attack and said those responsible must be identified and brought to justice.
According to representatives of integration organisations in Nitra, this is at least the second similar incident reported at the same location within the past two weeks. Earlier, two Ukrainian teenagers were reportedly attacked there. Local human rights advocates say the activity of radical groups in the city appears to be increasing, and warn that the growing number of such incidents is becoming a serious cause for concern.
According to the city’s integration centre, more than 18,000 foreign nationals with various residence statuses live in Nitra, whose total population is about 80,000. Many are employees of industrial companies, including the Jaguar Land Rover plant, while others are international students.
