Czech court sentences teenage attackers for attempted murder of homeless man

A Prague high court upheld prison terms for three teenage boys, aged 16 to 17, who attempted to murder a Ukrainian homeless man on 1 February 2025. The youths coordinated the assault on Telegram, filmed the attack on a mobile phone, and struck the victim with a shovel and kicks, targeting his head and kidneys. The court confirmed sentences of seven, six and five years’ imprisonment. The oldest offender, now an adult with Russian citizenship, was also ordered to leave the Czech Republic for five years. All three had their phones confiscated and were ordered to jointly compensate the victim’s damages. The judgment noted the crime was motivated by hatred toward the victim’s ethnicity and social status. Earlier, the same pair of 16‑year‑olds had assaulted another young man in Prague’s Bohnice district, an incident also addressed in the ruling. The case highlights concerns over hate‑motivated violence and the use of social media to plan attacks.