The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia (Ombudsman) condemns all violence, regardless of who commits it or against whom it is committed. Incidents or violent acts can be of concern primarily because they increase tensions and deepen distrust among residents. Year after year, the Ombudsman warns that everyone has the right to dignity and personal security in accordance with Article 34 of the Constitution, and the police are obliged to protect every individual who turns to them due to a threat to personal security or personal property. In the event that the police do not provide them with adequate protection, they can file a complaint with the Ministry of the Interior. The Ombudsman persistently highlights this in his annual reports, and the Deputy Ombudsman Miha Horvat recently highlighted a similar point at the session of the Commission for Petitions, Human Rights and Equal Opportunities (19/6/2025) entitled “Ensuring the constitutional right to security – escalation of Roma violence and the unresponsiveness of the state or the Government of the Republic of Slovenia”.

The Ombudsman also always draws attention to the necessary police presence in Roma settlements, where various violations of peace and order or other misdemeanours or criminal acts still occur. The provision of special protection to the Roma community should not be equated with protection from any liability for an unlawful act. In short, every individual, regardless of nationality, must be held equally accountable for their actions – before the law and in accordance with the fundamental principles of the rule of law, and the police must respond to all incidents involving violations of peace and order or other misdemeanours or criminal acts. If there are reasonable suspicions of violations of criminal or other laws, we expect the competent authorities to take appropriate and impartial action. However, we also point out that responsibility for actions cannot and should not be borne by the entire community, but by the individuals who acted illegally.

The issue of coexistence between the Roma and majority populations and the integration of members of the Roma community into Slovenian society is also addressed in the annual report for 2022, and some specific proposals are addressed to municipalities and the state, which have not yet been implemented. The annual report also presents in more detail the (in)effectiveness of criminal law in relation to Roma (page 154 onwards).

The effectiveness of the Ombudsman does not depend only on the normative regulation of his position and competence, but, as the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia has already stated in its decision, also on a high level of democracy, observance of the constitutional principles of the rule of law, and the responsibility of public office holders. As a democratic invention, the Ombudsman can only operate in a democratic environment where a responsible government and progressive officials are truly willing to eliminate unintentional violations and shortcomings.

The Ombudsman will continue to warn competent authorities about the need to respect the principle of equality before the law and human dignity for all.