The Roma community from Racoș – around 1,200 people, according to Ioan Dudaș, a local Pentecostal pastor – live off of picking berries from the woods and taking up various chores at nearby farms, like helping to gather hay and potatoes.

The Roma say that they have an agreement with the nearby forest ranger by which they can pick up fallen wood, but they also say that the local police force does not really respect this agreement and they are fined or beaten when caught leaving the forest with wood. Often times, they say, they are both beaten and fined.

The beatings seem to be happening often and without any reason. Representatives for the Association for the Defense of Human Rights in Romania – the Helsinki Committee (APADOR-CH) talked to several people during a visit to Racoș who said that the police beat Roma for no reason and without any connection to thefts or other illegal activity.

Special squad

The same sources said that the only people harassed by the police are Roma and no other ethnic groups (such as Romanians or Hungarians). According to estimates made by the Roma, the police have assaulted over 40 victims in their community alone. The abuses have been happening for about four to five years, since a special squad lead by Dan Ciucu was sent to their community.

This squad was previously present in a nearby village, where they had several conflicts with the local Roma population. The Roma from Racoș think that this is why the police are taking "revenge" out on them. Several citizens beaten up in recent years have filed complaints against the police officers, but all of them were unsuccessful because there were no witnesses backing up their claims and the officers denied all charges.

The National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux is conducting a project on social justice in the community. Activists working for this organization are providing the Roma with legal counseling and sometimes even financial assistance so that people who are beaten up can cover the costs of traveling to hospitals from Rupea and Brașov.

Justice

One of the activists, G.D., was beaten in the Racoș train station on the evening of April 30, 2015, by four men wearing balaclavas. Shortly before the assault, G.D. was warned by local police that he is in a dangerous area and "anything can happen from Racoș to Brașov." Local citizens have threatened to seek their own justice if the central authorities won’t intervene.

An ample report released by APADOR-CH shows some concrete cases of citizens being abused by the police. APADOR-CH, together with other organizations, asked the Police General Inspectorate to investigate thoroughly and quickly the situation in Racoș and to take any necessary measures.

The NGOs have also asked the prosecutor’s office attached to the Supreme Court to reopen all the criminal investigations from the last three years concerning complaints of people from Racoș regarding police abuse.