74 / 121
72
Discrimination and the Roma community, 2015
15
15.
Vitoria.
Police services.
Direct discrimination.
A young man came by the FSG office in Vitoria to report on
a discriminatory situation he had suffered for being Roma.
He was at home when the Ertzaintza (regional Basque police) called and said they needed to talk to him. When
he asked them why they said that they were there to notify him of an infraction he allegedly committed when
he was leaving work.
The police told him what the infraction was and he showed them his car and insurance documentation which was
all in order. He apologised for the infraction, explained that he had not even realised that he had done anything
wrong and assumed full responsibility. He also confirmed that his insurance company would contact the person
or people affected.
However, during this interaction, the police attacked him verbally for being Roma and accused him of lying on
several occasions.
The young man told us that he regretted this unpleasant incident but he didn’t want us to do anything for fear
of reprisals and consequences at work since he had no witnesses and it was his word against that of the police.
16.
Malaga.
Police services.
Direct discrimination.
A Roma man who is a national police officer was accused of
wrongdoing after the police inspector found out he was Roma. He was accused of stealing confiscated steroids.
The Equality Department met at FSG headquarters to gather first-hand information and documentation. The
family felt vulnerable and discriminated against for the treatment received. The young man was convicted for
the crimes he was accused of.
The family requested a pardon as they considered it unfair that their brother should have go to prison and that
pardon was granted a few months later.
17.
Cantabria.
Police services.
Direct discrimination.
One of the students from the Promociona Programme,
age 14, was stopped by the police as he was leaving school to go home and they asked to see his ID card. The
student was not carrying his ID card with him at the time and the police therefore took him in their car to the
police station where they held him for two hours. During this time, his family did not know where he was and
no one had called them to tell them he was at the police station. After two hours (and still without informing the
child’s family) he was told he could leave.
The next day his mother went to file a suit and the police told her that you couldn’t file a suit with the police and
that the most you can do was lodge a complaint.