Jun 19, 2025

Prague Tram Driver Faces Trial for Assaulting Ukrainian Family

Cara McErlean

The case of a Prague tram driver who assaulted a Ukrainian grandfather in front of his two-year-old grandson is heading to a full public trial after the defendant protested a guilty verdict and suspended sentence.

The incident, which occurred on February 27 at the Otakarova stop, drew national outrage when a viral video showed the driver shouting at the passenger before physically attacking him.

The man had been holding his grandson at the time. The situation escalated after the child briefly stood on the seat and kicked the protective glass separating the driver’s cabin from the passenger area in a Škoda 15T tram.

Following a police investigation, the Prague District Prosecutor’s Office filed formal charges on May 22. The driver, 30, was indicted under two criminal statutes: hooliganism (§358, paragraph 1) and insulting a nation, race, ethnic or other group (§355, paragraph 1, item “a”). Prosecutors requested a five-month suspended sentence, a two-year probation period, and mandatory participation in a rehabilitation and social education program.

On May 30, the Prague 10 District Court issued a criminal order (trestní příkaz), a simplified verdict used when evidence is clear and the proposed sentence does not exceed 12 months. The judge agreed with the prosecutor’s recommendations and found the driver guilty.

However, the defendant immediately filed a formal protest, objecting both to the verdict and the sentence. As a result, the case will now proceed as a standard public trial, set to begin on June 25. Under Czech law, the new trial could lead to the same punishment or a harsher sentence.

The attack sparked widespread public condemnation, amplified by footage recorded by a passenger and shared across Czech social media and major news platforms.

Prominent politicians also addressed the incident, underscoring broader concerns about xenophobia and behavior in public services.

The upcoming trial is expected to draw media attention, with human rights advocates and local politicians closely watching whether the final judgment will reflect the gravity of the attack and the ethnic dimension of the case.

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