Another One Bites the Dust

The victims of Hungary's serial killer have become mere pawns in the bloody game of politics

On Sunday Hungary's annual Sziget Festival (Island Festival) came to an end. Among the novelties this year was the introduction of Music against Racism on day zero of the five day music festival in Budapest. More than 30 Hungarian and international bands that appeared on the main stage showed their condemnation of racism and their support for tolerance by dedicating their performances to the cause of anti-racism. Likewise, jazz musicians on the nearby jazz stage also lent their support to the anti-racist and pro-tolerance cause by also playing under the banner of Music against Racism.

All this came shortly after another victim of Hungary's serial killer was laid to rest. This time a 45 year old mother was buried; her 13-year old daughter miraculously survived the shooting. The little girl sustained life threatening injuries from a shotgun blast at close range. Her condition has since improved considerably.

As with other victims of this serial killer, this latest murder targeted members of Hungary's Roma (gypsy) community. In fact, all of the targets of this supposed serial killer, with the exception of one, were Roma.

There is some dispute, however, as to the motive behind the killings. Not only this, the Hungarian authorities aren't sure exactly which crimes are the work of the serial killer and which are the result of a general rise in crime against and within the Roma community.

The latest killing as well as one carried out earlier in February, where a father and his five year old son were gunned down as they fled their burning house, are almost certainly the work of the same killer. The police noted that ballistic tests confirmed that the weapon used in this latest killing was the same as that used in other shootings, yet they refused to specify which ones.

Numbers differ wildly as to precisely how many Roma have been attacked since a noticeable upsurge in violence against the minority community began last year. Figures range from about two dozen to well over 50. What complicates matters is that these numbers often include victims of crime committed from within the Roma community itself.

Others have also been quick to point out that there has been an increase of violence from the Roma community against mainstream society as well. Recent incidents involving the lynching of a teacher at Olaszliszka as well as the murder of a well-known handball player in Veszprem earlier this year have been the two most often quoted examples.

Racism is often seen as the motive behind the upsurge in violence against the Roma. However, with the perpetrators still at large it's difficult to be certain which crimes are hate-related and which are not. As for the attacks attributed to the serial killer, it's still unknown who this person (or persons) is and the reason for the killings. One thing is for certain: the crimes have been carried out with the utmost precision. As far as the police are concerned, they are dealing with an expert killer.

As a result, speculation has been rife that the person may be a former member of the secret service or armed forces. Indeed, the professionalism with which the crimes have been carried out has led some to conclude that the shootings attributed to the serial killer aren't hate-based. Experts from the US, helping the Hungarian authorities on the case, point out serial killers are often cold and calculating in what they do and are not simply motivated by hate.

Upsurge in violence, racism and the financial crisis

In conjunction with this, the fact that the upsurge in violence against the Roma seems to coincide with the onset of the financial crisis have left many with an uneasy feeling as to what is really going on. Usury is a major problem in Hungary, especially within the Roma community. There have already been several incidents in where bombings and killings turned out to be the result of usury disputes. In fact, some of these crimes were at first labeled as a racist attacks before they were established to be either a settling of accounts or usury based. In one case, it was the usurer that was attacked and not those who owed him money.

It's not inconceivable, therefore, that the spate of recent killings in Hungary is part and parcel of the ugly side to the financial crisis. In the past year some have ended up losing their homes and livelihoods to the banks; similarly, some have ended up losing their lives to the usurers.

The police admit that they haven't discounted usury or a personal settling of accounts as a possible motive for some of the killings and the recent upsurge in violence. At the same time, however, minority leaders and members of the government, including the minister responsible for public security, have been quick to denounce the spate of killings as cowardly racist attacks against the Roma community. This, despite the fact that it still hasn't been clearly established who the perpetrators are and what their motives might be.

Such a rush to judgment has been counterproductive to say the least. The problem is that the violence against the Roma has all been lumped together in one lot and simplified. This, in turn, only fans the flames of intolerance further as there have been a number of occasions in where a supposed racist attack in the end turned out to be unfounded. In one such case a few years ago, a 15-year old Roma youth was stabbed. Roma leaders and vested politicians were quick to denounce what they deemed to be a racist attack, subsequently holding demonstrations to this effect. It soon turned out that the Roma youth was stabbed by another Roma youth.

Many within mainstream Hungarian society feel that this same kind of situation is now playing itself over again, this time on a much broader scale. Some have even gone so far as to accuse the government of playing the racist card and fanning the flames of hate and intolerance. A few conspiracy theorists have even speculated that the Hungarian secret service is being behind the killings.

All this has led to the fear of an explosion between the Roma minority and mainstream society. Some even talk of a civil war mentality that threatens to seriously destabilize the country.

The authorities, meanwhile, appear powerless to stop the chaos. For one, the incompetence of the police has made it extremely difficult to track down those responsible for the violence. This was quite apparent in the shooting earlier this year in February when the authorities at first regarded the incident as an accident even though the victims lay riddled with bullets. Subsequently, their slow and clumsy handling of the scene led to important clues and evidence to be lost.

Similarly, comments made by the minister in charge of public security in wake of the recent shooting, in where he noted that it will take them about a decade to find the killer, doesn't lead to much trust in the police. Indeed, with 80% of burglaries in Hungary unresolved public trust in law enforcement has long since evaporated.

Roma communities in Hungary now live in an atmosphere of fear and trepidation

In some places, vigilante justice has been used as a means of self defense as they have lost faith in the ability of the authorities to protect them. Over the past week there have been a few incidents in where vehicles were forced to stopped by groups of Roma armed with picks and axes who feared that the serial killer was lurking in their midst.

So far there has been no violence but some observers feel that if this situation continues then it will only be a matter of time before an innocent person does become injured or even killed. Thus, the fear of the Roma has now been reciprocated; many Hungarians are afraid to drive through areas densely populated by the Roma for fear that they may be lynched.

Sadly, politicians and the authorities alike have done little to allay these fears on both sides of the divide. While those on the political left cry wolf, those on the political right are crying foul. Meanwhile, the far right in Hungary stands to benefit most from the chaos. With an election looming over the horizon, their promises of security and cracking down on crime and corruption is appealing to many.

As for those returning from the Sziget festival, they can rest at ease that they had fulfilled a duty to their conscious by partying against racism. Yet as the stages are torn down and the banners put away for another year, the problem irrevocably remains. Someone, somewhere in Hungary is making meticulous plans for a repeat performance.