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Discrimination and the Roma community, 2015
5.
Valencia.
Police services.
Direct discrimination.
The Valencia office of the FSG reported that a Roma man
from Romania was fined by the local police in Valencia for collecting scrap metal on his bicycle. The man was in-
dignant when he came to the FSG office in Valencia and told them that he didn’t understand why the police had
fined him; he wasn’t carrying any scrap metal because they had confiscated his bicycle. He felt discriminated
against and powerless because they did not consider his situation and also because the police only went after
him and not the others who were doing the exact same thing as him.
He said he did not know how he was going to recover his bicycle. He felt lost and afraid that if he tried to claim
his bicycle back he would have bigger problems. He therefore decided not to retrieve his bicycle and paid his
fine.
6.
Valencia.
Police services.
Direct discrimination.
A young Roma man from Romania contacted the Valencia
office of the FSG to report a recent flurry of police actions in the neighbourhood where he and his family live
(searches of homes and Roma individuals, searches of Roma on the street, etc.). The man said that people felt
unprotected and discriminated against.
The person refused to give his name or any further information for fear of reprisals.
7.
Alicante.
Police services.
Direct discrimination.
The FSG office in Alicante received a complaint from a
relative of young Roma girl from Romania who has a disability. This family member told us that the girl was
assaulted by the local police while she was allegedly begging in the street and they didn’t know who to turn to
or what to do.
The family told us that when they went to lodge a complaint for the treatment received by their daughter at
the hands of the police, the local police themselves had just lodged a complaint against them and their daughter
for panhandling which is why the family was reluctant to lodge their complaint.
The family wanted this incident to go on record but did not want to take any action for fear of reprisals.
8.
Valencia.
Police services.
Indirect discrimination.
We received a telephone call from a young girl who
claimed she witnessed a discriminatory incident by the local police in Valencia. She said that the local police in
Valencia were engaged in special actions targeting Roma with stalls at the outdoor markets. According to her
testimony, the police only asked to see the documentation of the Roma sellers and no one else thus creating an
atmosphere of distrust.
9.
Vigo.
Police services.
Direct discrimination.
The FSG office in Vigo received a complaint from two young
Roma who were participants in an FSG educational programme and who were on their way to take their exam
to obtain their secondary education degree. A pair of plain-clothes national police officers asked to see their
documentation but did not ask anyone else in the group for theirs.
The youngsters said that they felt discriminated against for being Roma.
10.
Madrid.
Police services.
Direct discrimination.
After being arrested for alleged domestic abuse, a Roma man
claimed to have been beaten and ridiculed by the national police who arrested him and took him to a holding
cell. He felt certain that he was treated this way because his is Roma.
The Department requested all of the pertinent information and documentation (complaint, medical report, etc.)
but received no response.
Unfortunately there are many cases, especially related with police services, where fear of reprisals or of police
authority keeps victims from taking any action.