Retvari: Govt asks top court for expedited hearing in school segregation case

The government is appealing against a court decision to award cash compensation to Roma who were segregated at school in Gyongyospata, in north-western Hungary. It has asked the Kuria, Hungary's supreme court, for an expedited procedure. Bence Retvari, state secretary at the human resources ministry, told a press conference on Wednesday that the primary and appeal courts had ignored evidence presented by the school operator and local government's defence that the precise harm to the plaintiffs had not been ascertained, neither was it shown properly how each plaintiff had felt harmed. He said the government was prepared to take legal responsibility by offering training courses to the people the appeal court ordered to be compensated. "This would much better serve their interests." The government contacted the plaintiffs in writing in January and offered them "in-kind compensation". It is still awaiting a reply, he added.