Ljubljana - The Slovenian Association of Judges has noted that a judge at the Ljutomer Local Court was once again the victim of an assault, as a known perpetrator vandalised his car, which was parked in front of the courthouse. The organisation said it was shocked and outraged by the news and called on the authorities to take action.

This is the second attack on the judge, Gorazd Tivadar, in a relatively short period of time that is related to his job, the association noted.

In 2020, the same perpetrator physically assaulted and injured him, and this time around, after leaving the court on Tuesday, he smashed both windscreens of the judge's car with a hammer in the parking lot in front of the courthouse and in full view of everyone.

The association expressed support to the judge and his colleagues at the Ljutomer court, pointing out they had been the targets of intimidation.

An attack on a judge is an attack on what they represent - the judiciary, the association added, urging competent authorities, including the Justice Ministry, the police and state prosecutors, to do everything in their power to ensure that judges are immediately provided with more effective security as well as given assistance in the event that something like this should occur despite all preventive measures.

It also called for such acts to be prosecuted ex officio and for the assault to be treated with the same seriousness, urgency and determination as if it had happened to any member of any branch of government.

In the wake of the latest incident, judges also warned about "the alarming formation of a social climate where judicial decisions, judges and courts are not respected, but are instead disparaged in various ways at every opportunity, which, unfortunately, indirectly incites such or similar incidents".

Judge Tivadar was physically assaulted by the same perpetrator in September 2020, while taking a stand in a court procedure in which his attacker stood as defendant. The man had allegedly bullied the judge and exercised pressure on him for years, ever since the latter delivered a ruling in a procedure in which the man was involved.