More than a year and a half after a fatal high school attack in Spišská Stará Ves, the family of victim Alenka Čarnogurská is facing a partial denial of state compensation, according to statements from the family’s lawyer and relatives. While the Ministry of Justice granted compensation to Alenka’s father and mother, it rejected the claims filed on behalf of her two sisters and her grandmother.
Compensation Claims and Ministry Rejections for Grieving Relatives
Under national legislation, surviving family members are entitled to financial compensation set at 25 times the monthly minimum wage. Operating through their legal representative, Miroslav Jakubčík, the Čarnogurská family applied for these statutory payments from the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. The ministry approved the funds for the victim’s parents but denied the claims submitted for the two sisters and the grandmother, citing a specific legal threshold.
In its written decisions, the ministry repeated a standard justification regarding the household requirements. “The applicant does not meet the condition of having cared for the shared household together with the deceased,” the Ministry of Justice stated in its rulings. Family members sharply contested this narrow interpretation of the law, noting that Alenka’s room at home has been left entirely untouched since the January attack last year.
Did You Know? Under the applicable legal framework cited by the family’s counsel, surviving relatives are eligible to seek compensation equivalent to the 25-fold of the monthly minimum wage following a fatal violent crime.
Disputed Household Criteria and ‘Desk Decisions’
Family representatives argue that the state’s evaluation process failed to reflect actual domestic arrangements. According to the victim’s uncle, Martin Trebuňa, ministry officials never visited the family, contacted them, or investigated how their household operated. “The ministry never interviewed the family, contacted them, or investigated how the family functioned,” Martin Trebuňa stated, characterizing the outcome as a decision made entirely from a desk.
Attorney Miroslav Jakubčík criticized the agency’s methodology as an overly restrictive approach. “In our view, the ministry chose an exceptionally restrictive and purposive interpretation of the law, practically establishing new conditions for granting a claim that the law itself does not know,” Jakubčík said. He added that the official stance creates an unfair implication that students or individuals without regular incomes do not contribute to domestic functioning.
Legal Recourse and Ongoing Court Proceedings
When approached for comment regarding the specifics of the case, the Ministry of Justice declined to provide detailed explanations, citing personal data protection rules. Meanwhile, another uncle of the deceased, Marek Trebuňa, expressed deep frustration with the administrative outcome and the enduring grief shared by the household. The legal counsel for the Čarnogurská family confirmed that administrative appeals within the ministry have reached an impasse and that the relatives are preparing to challenge the decisions in court.
“Unfortunately, victims of crime are left with no choice but to turn to the courts and assert their rights there,” Jakubčík concluded. Parallel to the compensation dispute, legal proceedings connected to the deadly gymnasium drama continue separately before the courts, where hearings are examining evidence such as prison phone calls made by the defendant, Samuel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is entitled to state compensation after a violent crime resulting in a fatality?
According to the legal provisions cited by the family’s attorney, close relatives who lived with the victim in a shared household are entitled to compensation amounting to 25 times the monthly minimum wage.
Which family members received compensation from the Ministry of Justice?
The Ministry of Justice granted compensation exclusively to the victim’s father and mother, while rejecting the applications submitted by her two sisters and her grandmother.
What is the next legal step for the rejected applicants?
Legal representatives for the family stated that the relatives plan to bring the matter before a court to assert their rights and challenge the ministry’s interpretation of the law.
How should administrative bodies evaluate household contributions when assessing compensation claims for surviving relatives of crime victims?