News

Paediatricians, sexologists, social workers and others involved in child care attended a round table discussion in Prague on Wednesday. An estimated 18,000 children in the Czech Republic have been involved in prostitution, pornography, or were victims of some other type of commercial sexual abuse. This constitutes close to one percent of the country's population under the age of 18 years. According to Eva Vanickova from Charles University's medical faculty, it is up to paediatricians to be more attentive and look out for symptoms of abuse. The health ministry also presented a new information booklet on the problem.

The Czech foreign minister, Cyril Svoboda, has the described a boycott of Danish goods by some Muslim countries as a complete over-reaction to the publication of cartoons of Mohammad in the Danish press. Mr Svoboda said the burning of the flags of European Union states was an attack on values important to Europeans. He made the comments after talks with the European commissioner for trade, Peter Mandelson, who visited Prague on Tuesday. Mr Mandelson called for a sensitive and moderate resolution to the controversy.

A group of Romanies who said they had suffered discrimination at the hands of the Czech education authorities have lost a case against the Czech state at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Eighteen Romanies from north Moravia said the fact they had been sent to a so-called special school constituted a violation of their human rights. Their claims had previously been dismissed by the Czech Constitutional Court.

The sacked chairwoman of the Supreme Court, Iva Brozova, has filed a lawsuit challenging her dismissal against the whole of the Czech government. She had previously filed suits against President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek. Mr Klaus dismissed Ms Brozova last week at the request of the minister of justice, who said the Supreme Court was not fulfilling its duties.