Eugen Grigore case

In 1974, Romanian truck driver Eugen Grigore drove his cargo truck into a group of tents belonging to Romani nomads, killing 24 people and injuring 50 others. Grigore served c. 27 years in prison. The case was not publicized at the time due to suppression by the Romanian state.

Eugen Grigore case
LocationCiurea, Iași County, Romania
Coordinates47°4′N 27°35′E
DateJuly 1974
Attack type
Vehicle-ramming attack
WeaponsCargo truck
Deaths24
Injuredaround 50
AssailantEugen Grigore
MotiveRevenge

Background

In May 1974, Eugen Grigore was a 27-year-old truck driver who worked about 14 hours a day in order to provide for his family.[1][2][3][4][5] He had a wife, three children and a house in the Copou neighborhood from Iași.[1][2][3][4] One day, the director from his workplace told him to go home, because his house was on fire.[1][4][5] Author Traian Tandin claims that a group of Gypsy women and minors, belonging to the nomadic Gypsy tribe that was settled near Ciurea, thought that nobody was home, so they entered it in order to rob.[1][4][5] But Grigore's wife and three children were in the backyard.[1] According to Tandin they heard noises in the house, entered it and allegedly got immobilized by the gypsies who set the house on fire, a fire that killed the woman and all three children.[1][2][3][4][5] The miliția's investigations were supposedly blocked because Grigore's neighbors did not want to collaborate as witnesses, as they feared retaliation by the gypsies.[1][4]

Attack

After two months, convinced of the helplessness of the authorities, and reportedly threatened by the gypsies who promised to take revenge if he did not give up his complaint, Grigore decided to take revenge.[1][2][3][4] One day at noon, after drinking half a litre of cognac, he rammed his truck into the nomads' tents and killed 24 people and injured about 50.[1][2][3][4][5]

Aftermath

The Communist regime did not allow the press to write anything about the incident, in order to avoid an ethnic conflict between Romanians and Gypsies.[1][2][3][4][5] The Gypsy nomads were moved from Iași to Botoșani.[1][2] Eugen Grigore was sentenced to life in prison, but in 1990 his sentence was reduced to 28 years in prison.[1][2] In 1995 he was transferred to the Neuropsychiatry Hospital from Botoșani.[1][2][5] In 2001 he was released and lived on the streets.[1][4][5] Grigore died in July 2009 when he was hit by a truck in Iași.[1][4][5]

In 2008, a former police officer who became a writer, Traian Tandin, wrote about the Eugen Grigore case in his book called Cei mai odioși 100 criminali români (The 100 most hateful Romanian criminals).[2][6]

In 2012 the "Eugen Grigore" case received nationwide attention, because during a Steaua București – Rapid București match, Steaua's fans showed a banner that said "Respect Eugen Grigore".[1][2][3] This was shown as a form of disrespect towards Rapid.[1][3] The incident also gained reactions from UEFA's president Michel Platini and from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance.[7][8]

See also

References
  1. "Cine a fost, de fapt, Eugen Grigore? Povestea nefardată a criminalului omagiat de galeria Stelei" [Who was, in fact, Eugen Grigore? The unadulterated story of the murderer honored by Steaua's gallery] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  2. "Cel mai bine păzit secret din istoria Miliției: "A omorât 24 de țigani cu camionul!"" [The best kept secret in the history of the Militia: "He killed 24 gypsies with his truck!"]. Libertatea.ro (in Romanian). 19 May 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  3. "Povestea celui mai controversat banner de la Steaua – Rapid! Momentul în care toată lumea s-a întrebat: "Cine e personajul și ce a făcut să merite asta?"" [The story of the most controversial banner from Steaua - Rapid! The moment when everyone wondered: "Who is the character and what made him deserve this?"] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  4. "Povestea şoferului care a ucis 24 de ţigani cu un camion. Securitatea a dosit măcelul, de frica conflictelor interetnice" [The story of the driver who killed 24 gypsies with a truck. The Securitate filed the massacre for fear of ethnic conflicts]. Adevărul (in Romanian). 5 June 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  5. "Povestea șoferului care a omorât 24 de țigani după ce i-a călcat cu camionul: regimul Ceaușescu a ținut totul ascuns" [The story of the driver who killed 24 gypsies after stepping on them with the truck: the Ceausescu regime kept everything hidden] (in Romanian). Playtech.ro. 7 July 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  6. "CRIMINAL, elogiat de galeria stelistă. LIBERTATEA v-a prezentat pentru PRIMA DATĂ povestea lui Eugen Grigore, cel care "a omorât 24 de țigani cu camionul"" [CRIMINAL, praised by the Steaua gallery. LIBERTATEA presented for the FIRST TIME the story of Eugen Grigore, who "killed 24 gypsies with his truck"] (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  7. "OFICIAL! Platini avertizează cluburile din România în privinţa manifestărilor rasiste!" [OFFICIAL! Platini warns clubs in Romania about racist demonstrations!] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  8. "Rasismul de la derbiul Steaua – Rapid a adus la București o delegație de la Bruxelles! UE a vrut să afle cine este Eugen Grigore" [Racism from the Steaua - Rapid derby brought a delegation from Brussels to Bucharest! The EU wanted to know who is Eugen Grigore] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
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