Police accuse two in Ostrava arson attack

The police have accused two people, a woman and her son, of attempted murder in connection with March’s arson attack against a Romany family in the north-eastern city of Ostrava, Czech TV said on Thursday. A police spokeswoman said five people had been detained but three were later released for lack of evidence. According to local inhabitants the accused were neighbours of the attacked family.

In March, a bottle of flammable liquid was thrown into a Romany family’s house where a 13-year-old girl managed to put out the fire, preventing any serious damage. The most vicious of these attacks, which took place in Vítkov last year, left a two-year old girl injured and scarred for life.