Kecskemét Court sentences two medics for abusing patient based on ethnicity

The Kecskeméti Court has issued a final prison sentence to two National Ambulance Service (OMSZ) employees for the abuse of a patient during a medical transport in April 2022. The defendants, a paramedic and a patient transporter, were found guilty of violence against a member of a community and abuse of a person performing a public duty.

According to court findings, the medics targeted the patient with obscene language and mockery regarding his perceived ethnic background. During the transport, the driver intentionally operated the ambulance with sudden braking and erratic movements to cause injury to the helpless patient. This resulted in the patient striking his head against a storage shelf, causing injuries that required eight days to heal.

While the patient subsequently passed away, the court determined there was no causal link between the defendants' conduct and the death. The paramedic received a one-year prison sentence, suspended for a four-year probation period, and is barred from working as a medic for two years. The driver was also convicted of related charges.