{"id":1145,"date":"2014-10-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-10-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/%20rroma.org\/08-10-2014-stereotypes-rroma-as-gangs-of-thieves\/"},"modified":"2022-07-26T14:00:55","modified_gmt":"2022-07-26T13:00:55","slug":"08-10-2014-stereotypes-rroma-as-gangs-of-thieves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/de\/08-10-2014-stereotypes-rroma-as-gangs-of-thieves\/","title":{"rendered":"08.10.2014 Stereotypes: Rroma as gangs of thieves"},"content":{"rendered":"

Br\u00f6nnimann (2014) reports \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ton gangs of thieves, who especially steal the valuables of hospital patients \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twho are not in their rooms at the moment of theft. After a detailed description \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof a recent incident at the canton hospital of Nidwalden, in which the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tperpetrators asked for a Mr. M\u00fcller \u2013 one of the most common last names in \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSwitzerland \u2013 it is noted that a witness identified the perpetrators as Rroma: \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cOf the men, there is no trace yet\u201d, says \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLorenz Muhmenthaler, head of the Nidwalden security police in the newspaper. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccording to the testimony of a witness, the suspects are Roma.\u201d <\/em>The \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmentioning of the ethnicity of the perpetrators is not necessary, as it only encourages \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tracist stereotypes about a culture of crime among the Rroma. Rroma are not more \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcriminal than other ethnic groups, rather, this is suggested by the media \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthrough the explicit thematisation of the Rroma in connection with criminal offenses. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMoreover, the statement that the perpetrators looked like Rroma is based on \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tracist criteria: it is undoubtedly meant that they were dark-skinned. There are \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\talso many light-skinned Rroma. Whether the criminals were in fact Rroma is not assured. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIt is rather an expression of suspicion, based on prejudices. A cultural \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tinterpretation of the offenses is necessarily racist and ignores and discredits \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe majority of Rroma living respectable and integrated lives. More caution \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twhen using ethnic criteria and fomenting prejudice and resentment would be \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tappropriate. The negative stereotypes about Rroma have become a generally \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tunquestioned canon. <\/p>\n