Hundreds of people protest in Prague against low sentences for sexual violence
Hundreds of people protested in the centre of Prague on Wednesday afternoon against courts' decisions in cases of sexual violence, specifically opposing the imposition of low sentences and the trivialisation of violence against women. They also called on the state to make systemic changes in the protection of victims. The protest, attended by hundreds of people, took place on Malá Strana Square.
During the almost hour-long event, the participants recalled some recent cases in which, according to them, the domestic justice system repeatedly failed to protect the victim and often handed out only suspended sentences to the perpetrators. "We want to make it clear with this protest that we do not intend to tolerate such an approach," said the organisers. According to them, the low sentences are not an isolated failure of justice, but evidence of a deep problem in the Czech judiciary.