Man Attacked Police After Interrogation in České Budějovice — Court Hands Down 2.5 Years, Constitutional Court Complaint Rejected

At a police station in České Budějovice, a man attacked several officers right after his interrogation had ended: he punched one in the face and knocked another to the ground with a kick to the back. The incident led to a criminal case and, later, an appeal to the Constitutional Court — which ultimately sided with the justice system.

According to court documents, after the interrogation the man stood up and began pacing around the room, ignoring officers' commands. He then advanced on one of the officers with a clenched fist. A policewoman tried to stop him by pinning him against a railing, but he broke free and punched a third officer in the mouth. As he was being led away under escort, he kicked yet another officer in the back, knocking him to the ground.

Court Took Prior Offenses Into Account

The court classified the incident as violence against a public official, noting that the man had acted with the intent to influence the officers' performance of their duties. In sentencing, the court also took into account his previous offenses, including threats and bodily harm. He was ultimately sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.

Constitutional Court Complaint Rejected

The convicted man disagreed with the punishment and turned to the Constitutional Court, claiming his rights had been violated. He argued that he could not have realized the officers were performing their official duties, and that, in his view, the incident deserved nothing more than a fine.

However, the senate, presided over by reporting judge Jiří Přibáň, found none of these arguments convincing. "The complainant committed intense violence against police officers and must have realized that the officers were exercising the authority of criminal proceedings bodies against him as a defendant — first questioning him and then transferring him to a remand facility," the court's recently published ruling states.

The judges added that despite the complainant's objections, the Constitutional Court considers the established facts of the case to be complete and sufficiently substantiated by evidence, and that no violations of the complainant's fundamental rights and freedoms were found.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz