Slovenia Reveals Sweeping Security Reforms After Ales Sutar Murder
(MENAFN) The Slovenian government announced a broad package of security and social-welfare reforms following the death of Ales Sutar, a 48-year-old man fatally beaten by a member of the Roma community in Novo Mesto.
Sutar was attacked last week when he arrived at a city-center bar to pick up his son, who reported being threatened by a group of Roma. He suffered severe head injuries and later died in a hospital. Police have arrested a 21-year-old in connection with the assault.
The incident ignited mass protests, with thousands taking to the streets accusing the government of neglecting citizen safety and ignoring years of violence linked to Roma settlements. Demonstrators demanded stronger security measures and called for Prime Minister Robert Golob’s resignation.
On Wednesday, Slovenia’s interior and justice ministers resigned, citing their “objective responsibility” for the worsening security situation in southeastern Slovenia, where violence involving Roma communities has escalated.
The government also introduced an emergency omnibus bill granting police expanded powers. Officers could conduct raids and remove individuals from public spaces without a court order if they pose an immediate threat. They would also have authority to temporarily shut bars or public gatherings where crimes or incitement to violence occur.
Under the proposed reforms, police could enter private property without a warrant if a person’s actions seriously threaten public order, and utilize drones, video surveillance, and license-plate recognition systems in high-risk areas.
The measures would also allow authorities to limit or seize social benefits from repeat offenders, fine individuals by drawing from previously protected welfare payments, and abolish child allowances for under-age mothers, which Golob described as “a financial model that drags young girls into slavery in Roma settlements.”
Golob stressed that the reforms are aimed at addressing criminal activity rather than any ethnic group. “This is not a fight against the Roma. It is a fight against crime,” he said.
The bill, named after Ales Sutar, is expected to reach parliament next month and could be approved by late November.
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