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| Hungarian camera operator apologises for kicking refugees | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The Hungarian camera operator who was filmed kicking two refugee children and tripping up a man at the border hotspot of Röszke this week has apologised, saying “something snapped in me” and she cannot believe her actions. | The Hungarian camera operator who was filmed kicking two refugee children and tripping up a man at the border hotspot of Röszke this week has apologised, saying “something snapped in me” and she cannot believe her actions. |
| Related: Hungarian nationalist TV camera operator filmed kicking refugee children | Related: Hungarian nationalist TV camera operator filmed kicking refugee children |
| In a letter to the rightwing daily newspaper Magyar Nemzet, Petra László said she had been in a state of shock since the incident on Tuesday, but denied accusations of racism. | In a letter to the rightwing daily newspaper Magyar Nemzet, Petra László said she had been in a state of shock since the incident on Tuesday, but denied accusations of racism. |
| “The camera was shooting, hundreds of migrants broke through the police cordon, one of them rushed to me and I was scared,” she wrote. | “The camera was shooting, hundreds of migrants broke through the police cordon, one of them rushed to me and I was scared,” she wrote. |
| “Then something snapped in me … I just thought that I was attacked and I have to protect myself. It’s hard to make good decisions at a time when people are in a panic.” | “Then something snapped in me … I just thought that I was attacked and I have to protect myself. It’s hard to make good decisions at a time when people are in a panic.” |
| László added that she was willing to take responsibility for her actions, but went on: “I’m not a heartless, racist, children-kicking camerawoman. I do not deserve the political witch-hunts against me, nor the smears or the death threats. | László added that she was willing to take responsibility for her actions, but went on: “I’m not a heartless, racist, children-kicking camerawoman. I do not deserve the political witch-hunts against me, nor the smears or the death threats. |
| “I’m just an unemployed mother of small children, who made a bad decision. I am truly sorry.” | “I’m just an unemployed mother of small children, who made a bad decision. I am truly sorry.” |
| László was fired by Hungarian nationalist television channel N1TV after video of the incident was posted on Twitter by Stephan Richter, a reporter for the German television channel RTL. | László was fired by Hungarian nationalist television channel N1TV after video of the incident was posted on Twitter by Stephan Richter, a reporter for the German television channel RTL. |
| N1TV – which has links to the far-right Jobbik party – said her behaviour was “unacceptable” and her job had been terminated “with immediate effect”. | N1TV – which has links to the far-right Jobbik party – said her behaviour was “unacceptable” and her job had been terminated “with immediate effect”. |
| On Thursday, Hungarian prosecutors said a criminal case for breach of the peace had been opened against her. Sandor Toro, the deputy chief prosecutor of Csongrád county, said: “In the course of the investigation, the authorities will also examine if more serious crimes … can be established.” | On Thursday, Hungarian prosecutors said a criminal case for breach of the peace had been opened against her. Sandor Toro, the deputy chief prosecutor of Csongrád county, said: “In the course of the investigation, the authorities will also examine if more serious crimes … can be established.” |
| The incident happened on Tuesday as hundreds of people broke through a police line at Röszke, a collection point close to the Hungarian-Serbian border where thousands of migrants have been crossing every day for the last month. | The incident happened on Tuesday as hundreds of people broke through a police line at Röszke, a collection point close to the Hungarian-Serbian border where thousands of migrants have been crossing every day for the last month. |