Hungarian camerawoman who kicked migrants sentenced

By Nehanda Radio On Jan 13, 2017 674

A Hungarian camerawoman who was filmed kicking or tripping up migrants near the Hungary-Serbia border has been sentenced to three years probation for disorderly conduct.

This video grab made on September 9, 2015 shows a Hungarian TV camerawoman kicking a child as she runs with other migrants from a police line during disturbances at Roszke, southern Hungary. After the footage appeared, the camerawomen was fired on September 8 by N1TV, an internet-based TV station close to Hungary’s far-right Jobbik party. The woman, later named as Petra Laszlo, can be seen tripping a man sprinting with a child in his arms, and kicking another running child in two separate incidents. The scenes took place as hundreds of migrants broke through a police line at a collection point close to the Serbian border where thousands have been crossing over each day. AFP PHOTO / INDEX.HU-/AFP/Getty Images

Petra Laszlo was filming refugees in September 2015 as they broke through a police cordon.

She was captured kicking two people as they fled, including a young girl. Later she appeared to trip a man carrying a child.

She says she will appeal.

Hungarian TV journalist fired for tripping up fleeing…

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Judge Illes Nanasi said Laszlo’s behaviour “ran counter to societal norms” and rejected her defence lawyer’s argument that she was trying to protect herself.

“I turned and saw several hundred people charging toward me, it was quite incredibly frightening,” she said.

She appeared in Szeged District Court hearing via video link and occasionally broke into tears. She said she had received death threats since the incident and that had been subjected to a “hate campaign”.

Right-wing TV channel N1TV fired her after the footage of her actions went viral on social media. BBC News