Annual Report Discrimination 2015

84 / 121

82
Discrimination and the Roma community, 2015
26. Granada. Others. Direct discrimination. A Roma man participating in FSG programmes in Granada told us that
he was involved in separation proceedings and his ex-partner (non-Roma) was constantly making racist com-
ments and accused him and his family of being thieves. All of these comments revolved around his being Roma.
The man was afraid that that these comments could result in rejection of his family and could also have an
impact on his separation proceedings.
27. Madrid. Social Services Direct discrimination. A Roma woman told us that her local church refused her
food and she believes that it is because she is Roma.
The Department contacted those involved in the incident and requested a meeting with the parish priest to hear
his side of the story. At the meeting we discovered that certain requirements established by the church and by
Caritas had to be met to be eligible for this food.
We contacted the Madrid office to assess the situation and collect more information. The Department request-
ed a meeting with the parish priest and/or the food relief manager but they said that they didn’t want to hear
anything more about this incident nor did they want to meet with us.
28. National. Press. Direct discrimination. The online newspaper 2014/483234/
rumanos-gitanos-pelean-por-control-venta-ambulante-cala-turqueta.html published a news story under the
following headline: “Romanians and Gypsies fight over the control of mobile trading at Cala in Turqueta.”
The article goes on to describe how the police had to intervene using violence.
29. Jaen. Others. Hate crime. After what happened in Estepa, Seville (physical and verbal violence against several
Roma families by local townspeople), several YouTube channels and different national newspapers published
discriminatory and racist comments against the Roma community in general.
2_1823880014.html
“Estepa explodes against the clan of ‘Los Chorizos’ after having put up with years of burglaries and
violence.” The townspeople can’t take any more of the incessant burglaries.
Hundreds of Estepa residents took to the streets and took out their frustrations on the homes of the
Roma clan called ‘Los Chorizos’. The neighbours claim that they have been putting up with burglaries
and violence for years and have decided to take action by expelling the clan from the town. “The
Chorizos threaten to return.”
“The townspeople of Estepa (Seville) stormed and burnt several homes belonging to alleged thieves,
members of as Gypsy clan. The Civil Guard has initiated investigative proceedings in Estepa to identify
those responsible for the attacks and fires set to homes belonging to members of this Gypsy clan
which have suffered damage and were burglarised.”
CASE 29