Hungarian camerawoman Petra Laszlo has publicly apologized for kicking migrants but insisted that she was acting out of fear for her own safety. The government is reportedly considering a public nuisance claim against her though it would seem a simple case of assault. We previously discussed her controversy.
Laszlo insisted that she was scared when the migrants broke away and started to run. However, the CNN film clearly shows her kicking or tripping multiple migrants including going out of her way to trip a man holding a young child. That does not exactly look like an act of self-defense.
Laszlo , who has been fired, stated “I am very sorry for the incident, and as a mother I am especially sorry for the fact that fate pushed a child in my way. I did not see that at that moment. I started to panic and as I re-watch the film, it seems as it was not even me.”
It is interesting that the government would be exploring a public nuisance offense since she was present to perform a protected activity as a member of the media. There may be something lost in translation here. This would seem not only unethical as a journalist becoming a participant in a news event but a case of assault.
What is clear is that the self-defense claim would not go very far in a U.S. court with this videotape.
here’s what the migrants are up to: trashing Europe
Isaac said, “she is evil, would only be a mother to a Hungarian, and is the type that sets up the scene so as to video it. She is trash…”
Only be a mother to a Hungarian? What kind of hateful trash you speak, sir! I have read that the Hungarians are “anti-Semitic” before, perhaps that is that why you spew this venom?
Maybe we can have a standard of civility where no ethnic peoples get “trashed,” instead of one that only protects non-whites or non-Christian peoples.
Of course, Hungarians have the misfortune of being white and predominantly Christian, which is why they have been predetermined by the mass media to be “racist’
They dare to oppose the invasion of their country. Some of them must not have got the memo that they are “Free” from communism now, so they must open their borders and submit to the invading force’s “freedom” to trespass. Evil, horrible Hungarians?! Are they descended from Attila or something? After all the Huns were immigrants too!
You’ll never know.
You continually tell us.
PCS, who’s Inga?
forgotwhoiam –
Do you mean physically, emotionally, psychologically, metaphysically or???
If she fears for her safety, she should leave. This kind of act was impulsive and is a good indicator of her attitudes and biases. May her karma be returned to her many times. The journalism field needs some training in the elimination of bias.
There is a traditional role of journalists NOT getting involved in what they are reporting. This invisible presence is supposed to contribute to objectivity and their own protection. It doesn’t always work. If journalists were perfectly objective perhaps the sh*t that is gotten away with might be reduced.
This person ceased to be a journalist when she nonchalantly went out of her way to extend her leg to trip the fleeing person(s). She may be a mother but perhaps only to her own kind.
It is legally debatable as to how or if she would or could be prosecuted. The law is a bottomless well of arguments and positions. The facts, provided by the video, remain that she is evil, would only be a mother to a Hungarian, and is the type that sets up the scene so as to video it. She is trash that does the profession of journalism infinite harm. At the very least she should be ostracized for her actions and possibly charged. She should certainly be punished for her rebuttal.
These are illegal aliens who are in the act of committing the crime of illegal entry and illegal border crossing.
These criminal illegal aliens must be physically apprehended and detained according to the law.
These illegal aliens, in the act of committing a crime, are a threat to public safety and to the subject party.
Illegal aliens, illegally entering or otherwise invading a country have no standing as a citizen of that country.
There is no legitimate global body of law that establishes citizenship or standing of a criminal or invading party in any sovereign nation.
Assuming the migrants are Syrians, the far more important question is of course why Obama has been destroying their country. USG has been trying to overthrow Assad since 2011 when comprehensive economic sanctions were imposed. USG admits that CIA has trained and supplied 10,000 Jihadist fighters (and how many are actually Syrian?) for the conflict. Assad is a moderate (by ME standards) secular nationalist who protects minorities and is opposed mainly by Sunni extremist forces. What’s the motivation behind USG’s actions? It looks a lot like Vietnam-destroying a country in order to save(?) it.
I thought the United States had cornered the market on biased media.
The government there is prosecuting her for political reasons–such as, reacting to public outcry. It is rather disingenuous how dozens of police officers are trying to capture these individual migrants but when the videographer hinders them she is charged. I don’t agree with her actions, but I disagree with a criminal prosecution.
Moreover, it brings into question the prudence of helping the police for civilians for fear they might be arrested.
As a journalist, what business did she have inserting herself in the situation? She was there to record the story.
Inga – this is an interesting ethical problem for journalists. Let’s say I am the photographer and I see a crime committed, even photograph it. And I know the person who committed it. As a journalist am I required to turn everything over to the police first or my TV station first.
In Hungary you can trip an immigrant but not kick one when they are down.
Personally I would try a defense of assisting the police (border patrol).
“What is clear is that the self-defense claim would not go very far in a U.S. court with this videotape.”
Well, at least not for her profession at least.