Message of the Minority Ombudsman - Commemoration of the victims of the series of murders against Roma on the 15th anniversary of the Tatárszentgyörgy tragedy

The perpetrators have since been prosecuted and convicted, but the echoes of the murderous shots, the images of houses set alight by incendiary bombs, still haunt survivors and witnesses.

Time is considered to heal wounds, but this would also require that, in addition to remembering, every person of good conscience and responsibility should also exercise introspection: is he or she doing everything possible to bring about a truly positive change in society? Have the processes leading up to the events been analysed, lessons learnt summarised and a real confrontation taken place? In our own communities, including our 'internet bubble', are we doing our utmost every day to strengthen the safety net that cuts the roots of online hate speech and racist sentiments that, in extreme cases, can lead to physical violence?

Since taking office, I have been closely monitoring national and international legislative activity and enforcement practice in relation to hate speech, hate crime and other hate-motivated acts, as well as related social phenomena and trends. In General Comment No. 6/2020 I dealt with the vandalisation of the Roma Holocaust Memorial in Budapest and the possibilities of taking action against hate crimes, and in my latest General Comment No 2/2023 I analyse the possibilities and limitations of taking action against the use of prohibited authoritarian symbols by presenting the European and domestic regulatory environment of authoritarian symbols and the theoretical framework of law enforcement by the police. As a continuation of this, I am currently focusing on certain forms of hate-based manifestations of social tensions directed against ethnic communities, such as demonstrations by extremist groups with fear-mongering aims or results and current trends in hate crimes.

In addition to effective and consistent action by the competent authorities in individual cases, something else is urgently needed to prevent the social trends leading to a series of brutal murders of Roma and similar incidents. Without the development of a social rejection of extremist ideas and the creation of a social approach based on human rights and solidarity, there will be no social peace. The way to achieve this is through education in human rights, education in tolerance and the conscious shaping of the attitudes of the next generation, with the aim of reducing stereotypes and prejudices, and inter-group conflicts.

In the light of our social and professional responsibilities, let us also do our utmost, through our humanity, to eliminate all forms of hatred in our communities.